News Geek

Maj. Gen. (Retd) Amir Azeem Bajwa — former Director General SCO — has been appointed the Member Technical at Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, while Dr. Khawar Saddique Khokhar is made the Member Compliance, we have confirmed with sources. According to sources, the notification for the appointment of members has been issued, however, Chairmanship of Gen. Amir Bajwa isn’t notified as of yet. But, as are the nroms, Gen. Bajwa is to be notified as the Chairman of Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, the sources said. “Member Technical is usually the chairman of the authority, and hence its only matter of time that the appointment is notified officially”, confirmed us a high level government official. Gen. Amir Bajwa will replace Muhammad Naveed, originally the member finance, who had been Chairman of PTA  on adhoc basis since November 13, 2017.  Dr. Khawar Khokhar, on the other hands, will fill the slot vacated by Mr. Abdul Samad. According to the sources, 17 candidates were...

The bidding process pertaining to the renewal of telecom companies’ licenses, which is planned for May next year, is in danger of being delayed. The consultant firm that was hired by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to conduct a study for working out a framework for the renewal of cell phone companies’ licenses has failed to accomplish the task. Due to this, the previously planned bidding process will not proceed in May next year. Media reports state that the failure of the firm, WRAP International, to conduct the assigned study, will cause a delay in the renewal of the licenses. In the absence of the study, the PTA cannot proceed with its planned bidding process. PTA had hired WRAP International to propose a framework for the renewal of cellular licenses of telecom companies through a transparent bidding process prescribed under the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules. However, the Ministry of IT has sought the government’s nod to conduct the bidding for...

Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) has signed an agreement for a PKR 4 Billion Unsecured Subordinated Debt Facility (Tier 2 capital) with U Microfinance Bank (U Bank), which is a wholly owned subsidiary of PTCL. This capital injection will enable the bank to further capitalize on the growth opportunities possible in Pakistan’s microfinance sector. In the constantly changing competitive landscape, this Tier 2 facility will enable U Bank to expand its current customer reach serving the under-served population. U Microfinance Bank plans to utilize these funds in its business operations and expansion plans. Serving its customers through disruptive innovation and digitization, the bank will focus on achieving its growth targets. Not only will it enable the bank to utilize additional capital with flexibility as it grows, the debt amount will also contribute towards U Bank’s Supplementary/ Tier 2 Capital for Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) as per the guidelines for Microfinanc...

2018 was a great year for Smart TVs and we had some incredible new launches. But the question remains, which TV is the best? Now as with most products, the best way to find what sets each one apart is by trying them out. Of course, you can’t really just try out every TV in the market, which is why we did it for you! To make it even easier for you guys, we’ve divided the TVs into the Flagship and Mid-Range segments and all of the models below are available in Pakistan. So, all you have to do is just read on ahead and you can find out exactly how well the TVs compare with each other. The next time you go for a TV purchase, you’ll have all you need to make a confident and informed choice. Flagship TVs Samsung  Nu 7100 Series 7 The NU7100 is a pretty good 4k TV with great picture quality and nice contrast ratio. It also has low input lag which makes it a good choice for gamers. The Smart TV options are easy to use and navigation in the menu is fairly straightforward. On the other hand,...

Germany is looking to import manpower from different countries and is set to offer jobs to Pakistanis too. German Ambassador to Pakistan Martin Kobler said that Germany is looking towards foreign labour by 2020 and Pakistan could prove to be an important contributor in this regard. The comments of Germany’s top diplomat, who is very popular among the different strata of the society, came during a meeting with the Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, Zulfikar Abbas Bukhari. The Special Assistant discussed investment opportunities in Pakistan for German companies and investors. They also discussed a plan to provide technical and vocational training to the Pakistani youth. During the meeting, Advisor to Prime Minister on Youth Affairs, Usman Dar, and representatives of German Investment Bank were also present. The German diplomat appreciated the current government’s reform agenda. He lauded the recent move to convert Prime Minis...

Minister for Communications and Postal Services Murad Saeed inaugurated the Pakistan Post Mobile App in a bid to address complaints immediately and revamp postal services for the better. The app has several features that makes use of the wide array of services Pakistan Post already offers such as track and trace, complaint handling, e-commerce, parcel collect, delivery, complaints, post office locations, tariff, postcodes and information about postal services. Using the app, you can track your parcel throughout its journey. Also, you will be able to file a complaint with an assurance that it will be addressed duly. At the launch of the mobile app at ECO Postal Staff College, Murad Saeed said that he takes complaints seriously enough so as to ensure the service’s improvement and the department’s performance. He underlined the accessibility of the state-owned postal service, saying that its postman visits almost every household of the country. This also includes far-flung areas that cann...

An American man has reported that his ‘almost new’ iPhone XS Max burst into flames and burned his skin after he noticed some smoke. The iPhone, that was bought only three weeks before it died in flames, has been replaced by Apple but the company hasn’t revealed what exactly happened to cause the phone to melt away. Reportedly, when the phone was taken to an Apple Store, they were clueless about what went wrong with the newly-bought iPhone XS Max. There hasn’t been any other report of a similar incident, in relation to Apple’s latest iPhones at least, so it’s still too early to say that all iPhone XS models will face this problem. Surely, the phone went through numerous safety checks before making its way to the market, just like most other phones. Still, it seems that it’s difficult to fully eliminate battery problems and fire issues in all counterparts. The incident reminds us of the Note 7 saga, when hundreds of very Samsung Galaxy Note 7 models caught fire or exploded due to an ...

As the New Year celebrations are set to begin in Pakistan within hours, here is a reason for Pakistanis to celebrate the onset of the year with double joy. The outgoing year has not been very conducive for the countrymen as far as the economic condition of the country is concerned. During the year, many economic indicators were showing a declining trend and the country was faced with an imminent balance of payment crisis. However, the country is slated to ink investment deals with some of its close allies to the tune of billions of dollars, which will help revive the ailing economy of the country. “We will be signing agreements with investors from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Germany, Malaysia, and Korea in January which is worth more than $30 billion,” Haroon Sharif, Minister of State and Chairman, Board of Investment, told a Saudi newspaper. The country has firm and solid commitments from three of its allies, namely Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and China, ensuring that the country becomes the hu...

The government has granted approval to the launch of a new private airline, which will be starting its operations next year. AirSial, which is a venture of Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), was given the go-ahead by Prime Minister Imran Khan to launch its operations. The airline will be based in Sialkot. Chairman of AirSial, Fazal Jillani said it would become operational within the next year. The Prime Minister granted the approval during a meeting with local businessmen including AirSial Chairman Fazal Jillani. The delegation was led by the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Youth Affairs Usman Dar, who called on the premier and Minister for Privatization and Aviation Muhammad Mian Soomro in Sialkot. The local businessmen thanked the Prime Minister for extending cooperation for the launch of the airline. The airline is being launched jointly by the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) and Sialkot International Airport. The local business...

Samsung will show off some cool new gadgets and innovative projects at the CES 2019 in Las Vegas,  according to an official announcement made by the company. These projects are a part of the South Korean conglomerate’s C-Lab (Creative Lab), a program that began back in 2016. The company says that it will reveal eight new projects – the highest number of projects Samsung has ever revealed in a single event – and in doing so, it will be able to “refine the projects and prepare the prototypes that will eventually become finished products to take to market.” Most of the upcoming gadgets are meant to become part of our daily life, and some will also help people with disabilities. These gadgets use a mix of AI and innovative engineering to help people “in the field of video content creation, perfume making and more”. Here are the upcoming gadgets, via Samsung’s C-Lab, that will be shown in a few weeks at the CES 2019: Tisplay This program is meant to help content creators effectively pla...

Sony’s PlayStation 5 (or whatever it gets called later on) is still a couple years away from getting launched. Still, speculation about Sony’s next-gen offering remains among the hottest topics in the gaming community. Gamers can’t wait to see what cool new features they get with the PS5. While it’s still too early to know how exactly it’ll be a step up over its predecessors, the gaming community believes that we will see some massive changes in the console gaming scene when it gets launched. Massive changes, like inherent, native 4K support and 240 fps, as predicted by famed analyst Michael Pachter. When asked about whether or not the PS5 still have technology on par with the next-generation Xbox – which has already been rumored to be more than just one device – the analyst said, “Whether Sony does it, I think they will probably have that 4K and 240 FPS device that’ll support PSVR. ” For those who are well versed with current generation gaming systems, the Sony Playstation 4 Pro seems...

Before starting this post, let me tell you the answer to the question I posed for this post. Yes,  it is possible to earn USD $10,000 per month in Pakistan. Now the question becomes – how can you accomplish this task? Believe it or not, you can achieve this goal by freelancing and learning modern technologies such as AngularJS, React Native, Machine Learning & Cloud Computing. Why Choose Freelancing? Freelancing has great potential, be it in terms of how much it can contribute to your personal growth, as well as for your country’s economy. We all know that today the world’s like one big global village.  The entire world is your marketplace if you like. Nobody can restrict you or put barriers in your way to earn as much as you want. It is 100% legitimate, and for the most part, tax-free income.  Now, before I tell you how to embark on this path of prosperity, there’s one thing I can tell you for sure. Something that every Pakistani should know. It doesn’t matter if you...

If you have been seeing improvements in internet connectivity in Pakistan during the past two weeks, especially with reduced lag and latency, now we know why. Cloudflare, which is one of the largest networks responsible for powering websites and online services,  has unveiled that it now has three new data centers housed in Pakistan. These data centers are operational in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. For those who don’t know, Cloudfare is a content delivery network (CDN), which basically powers: 10% of internet requests overall, content that is served to 2.8 billion people 24/7, 8 million internet websites and services. Massive Improvements for Online Services in Pakistan As per preliminary reports, you may be already seeing latency per request decrease by over 3x and as much as 150ms. This means that your favorite websites, online apps and services will load quicker than ever. For those who play online games like Fortnite and others, they will see a huge decrease in online lag fr...

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has rolled out its draft framework for the public trials of Fifth Generation (5G) Wireless Networks, its demonstrate systems, and the related services in Pakistan. The draft framework pertains to the development and test of future technologies especially for the 5G wireless networks in Pakistan. PTA states that the fast-paced growth in mobile data traffic and rising consumer demand for a better mobile broadband experience have rendered the upcoming fifth generation of mobile technology as a need of the hour. “Seen as a comprehensive wireless-access solution with the capacity to address the demands and requirements of mobile communication beyond IMT-2020, it is projected that this technology will operate in a highly heterogeneous environment and provide ubiquitous connectivity for a wide range of devices, new applications, and use cases,” states the authority. IMT-2020 As per the details, IMT-2020 is a term coined by the Radio Communication Sec...

The Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) has termed the grant of Non-Objectionable Certificate (NoC) for the merger of Mobilink and Warid as unjustified. The audit report, on the accounts of Telecommunication Sector for Audit Year 2017-18 – a copy of the report is available with ProPakistani – recommended that the matter should be investigated for fact-finding and responsibility should be fixed on those responsible for granting the NOC in violation of the provisions of the law. According to Rule 11 of Telecommunications Rules 2000, the granted cellular licenses shall be personal to the licensee and shall not be assigned, sub-licensed to or held on trust for any person, without the prior written consent of the Authority, noted the AGP audit. It said that Rule 11 (4) stipulates that a permission given by the Authority under sub-rule (3) shall include the requirement that the licensee shall take all necessary actions to ensure the continuous and uninterrupted use of that part of the lice...