Page 118 - SAMENA Trends - November-December 2019

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

(ODR), Consumer Protection and Privacy etc. Amendments will be three vendors who offered Sandvine based equipment (Sandvine
made in laws to accommodate electronic workflows, processes Inc, US based company) participated in the proof of concept
and eApprovals/e-Submissions etc. The policy aims to enhance and passed the criteria. No vendor offering, other than Sandvine
the current market size of e/m-commerce. According to some participated in POC, maintained the documents. Furthermore, the
estimates, the market carries an enormous growth potential agreement between telecom operators and the vendor was signed
due to exponential growth in broadband subscribers from 3.7 in December 2018. PTA has rejected the perception about limiting
million in 2013 to over 44.3 million in 2017 and increasing. With the freedom of expression of internet users through the WMS
these growth trends projected to persist in the future, overseas system while terming it incorrect and baseless. Some concerns
investments will continue to grow in e-commerce. The policy will were raised about possible security vulnerabilities of the foreign-
facilitate promotion of e-commerce by providing and enabling made system. Therefore necessary written guarantees were
an environment where Payment Service Providers (PSP) and acquired from the selected vendor and the OEM ensuring that
Payment Service Operators (PSO) can operate and establish an there are no backdoors or cyber-security risks in the system. In
effective e-commerce platform and take e-commerce activities in addition to written guarantees, it was also decided that necessary
Pakistan to the next level. It is encouraging to note that the policy measures will be taken for comprehensive cyber-security audit
has focused on youth, women and girls empowerment using IT. and vulnerability assessment by a joint team of security agency
Youth and women represent roughly 60% and 49% respectively of and PTA. According to PTA, other than many western countries,
the population. Specific ICT for Girls’ programs will be initiated for Sandvine equipment is also deployed in many Muslim countries
imparting quality trainings in computer skills, including software including Pakistan. The Muslim countries where Sandvine is
coding, across the country to reduce inequalities, provide decent deployed are: Algeria, Bahrain Djibouti, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq,
work and promote economic growth in line with relevant SDGs. Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Morocco, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi
Under the policy, incentives to bolster growth include 100% equity Arabia Sudan, Tunisia, Turkey and UAE. (November 26, 2019) propakistani.pk
ownership, 100% repatriation of capital/dividends, tax exemption
on IT and ITeS export revenues, tax exemptions to startups and The number of 3G and 4G users in Pakistan reached 73.26 million
subsidized Software Technology Parks. These measures will by end-October compared to 72.12 million by end-September
position Pakistan on the global canvass prominently. It said that 2019, said Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). Number
enterprise software and IT services continue to exhibit strong of mobile phone users in Pakistan reached 162.98 million by end-
growth, with communications services continuing to drive the October compared to 161.84 million by end-September, which
majority of spending. Software spending is projected to grow registered an increase of 1.14 million during the period under
8.5 percent in 2017, and it will grow another 9.4 percent in 2018 review. Jazz’s total count for 3G users stood at 12.255 million
to total $387 billion. IT services spending is on pace to grow 4 by end-October compared to 12.504 million by end-September,
percent in 2017 to reach $931 billion, and increase 5.3 percent registering a decrease of 0.249 million. Jazz 4G user numbers
in 2018 to reach $980 billion. This report depicts the potential of jumped from 13.008 million by end-September to 13.821 million by
ITeS sector and it is time to re-align the government strategies end-October. Zong 3G subscribers decreased from 7.965 million
to attract a reasonable chunk out of $980 billion. This will help by end-September to 7.751 by end-October while the number of
to create thousands of new jobs in IT sector of Pakistan in line 4G users jumped from 13.787 million by end-September to 14.221
with current government policy to create more and more jobs million by end-October. The number of 3G users of Telenor network
for youth in digital economy. Ministry of IT and Telecom will decreased from 8.133 million by end-September to 8.032 million
recommend the proposals for inclusion in the relevant documents by end-October i.e. registering a decrease of 0.101 million. The
such as Finance Bill and BOI’s Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Act number of 4G users jumped from 7.613 million by end-September
etc. after due process. The policy implementation will require to 8.052 million by end-October. Ufone 3G users decreased from
consistent monitoring and evaluation of its outcomes. However, 6.860 million by end-September to 6.695 million by end-October.
an appropriate strategy will also be prepared to align the ‘Action The number of 4G users of Ufone increased from 2.249 million
Plan’ with key priority areas for proper monitoring and evaluation. by end-September to 2.430 million by end-October. Teledensity
MoIT will encourage provincial departments and bodies to for cellular mobile increased from 76.75 to 77.24 percent and
use this Digital Pakistan Policy as a guideline for their own IT broadband subscribers reached 75.30 million by end-October
initiatives. Provinces can identify their own unique requirements compared to 74.15 million by end-September 2019. The PTA
and implementation frameworks. (December 7, 2019) thenews.com.pk received 7,819 complaints from telecom consumers against the
different telecom operators including (cellular operators, PTCL,
The government has involved a security agency to conduct a LDIs, WLL operators and ISPs) as of October 2019. According to
comprehensive cyber-security audit and vulnerability assessment the PTA data, Jazz (Mobilink + Warid) leads the chart with 2,694
of the foreign developed Sandvine Inc Web Monitoring complaints and Telenor stands at second position as the most
System (WMS). According to official documents, Pakistan complained telecom operator with 1,675 complaints. The PTA
Telecommunication Authority (PTA) directed telecom operators in said that it was able to get 7,784 complaints resolved i.e. 99.55
2017 to deploy a suitable solution capable of mitigating grey traffic percent. The cellular mobile subscribers constitute major part of
and blocking web content. Based on PTA technical requirements, overall telecom subscriber base; therefore, maximum number of
the telecom operators committee issued RFP in July 2018. complaints belongs to this segment. Total number of complaints
Western-made solutions were offered by different vendors, where against the CMOs by October stood at 6,245. In terms of the

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