Following Internet / GPRS packages are currently offered by telecom companies in Pakistan.
In my experience

• Zong has the cheapest packages and worst speed.
• Telenor has the best speed and EDGE coverage.

Updated on 14 Oct 2011

Ufone

Warid

Telenor

Usage Tracking
*999# @ PKR 0.1+tax

Zong

Mobilink

Additional Bundles for Standard Package:

Additional Bundles for Value and Premium:

International Bundle    @ Rs.999

1200 FREE INTERNATIONAL MINUTES to Select Destinations

Additional Security                 Rs.1000

Terms and Conditions (Important points in Blue)

• Additional off-net & on-net calls to Landlines will be charged at Rs. 2/ 3 Minutes.
• Additional Mobile calls are charged at Rs.2/min in Value & Premium package.
• Free minutes in International Bundle can be used for landline & mobile calls to USA, Canada & China and on landline only in UK & Australia.
• International calls to all other destinations & additional minutes will be charged as per defined zones. For detailed international tariffs visit our website www.ptcl.com.pk
• Remaining free minutes at end of month will not be carried forward to next month.
• Internet is charged at Rs.2/20min for additional usage.
• Security deposits (refundable) are charged one time only.
• All charges are stated exclusive of taxes.19.5% Federal Excise Duty (FED) & 10% withholding tax will be applicable on total bill amount.

Now Lets analyze the packages one by one comparing them with prepaid.
Vfone Standard (Postpaid)   vs Vfone family(Prepaid)

Obviously Prepaid is better than postpaid in this case.

Now add a bundle to Vfone Standard and compare it with Vfone Family and Vfone Unlimited

*free minutes are for both vfone and landline.

Now postpaid gets a little better here if you have to call landline frequently and 1000 minutes are sufficient for you.
Calls to mobile are still at a higher rate.

Now compare Vfone Value and Premium with Vfone Unlimited.

*free minutes are for both vfone and landline.

Added things are free minutes to mobile and free internet hours. We will discuss internet later in the post.
Take Ptcl value You pay Rs.999 for 1000 free minutes to ptcl and 100 minutes to mobile.
Now 100 minutes on vfone will cost you Rs. 200 making total of Rs. 800.
Better than Postpaid if you don’t have to use internet.

Vfone Premium you pay Rs. 2000 extra for 1000 mobile minutes(at Rs.2/min no added advantage) and internet.
There is one funny thing in this offer. There are 720 hours in a 30 days month and ptcl offering you 1000 hours/month how generous

Voice Users
To sum up if you are a voice user Vfone unlimited(Prepaid) is the best offer. Vfone standard + Pakistan Plus (Postpaid) can be an alternative.
Personally I don’t like postpaid. In a prepaid connection you control the way you want to use the service. In Postpaid company controls you. And certainly there is no need to go for postpaid when you don’t have any advantage.

Other packages, Vfone Value & Premium just makes no sense. Not useful for a voice user.

Internet Users

Vfone Standard + Internet bundle can be an option.
You pay 673 + Tax making a total of Rs. 885/month.

And go for vfone only if you don’t have any other option available in your area like DSL, WiMax etc.
Problem using vfone is:-

• Speed is not impressive.
• You cannot receive or make calls while using internet.
• You pay almost the same as for Broadband.

Advice for PTCL

If you want to attract customers give packages that make some sense.
Introducing some internet packages for prepaid customers would have been a wise approach.
Package like 50 hours for Rs.100.
Unlimited for Rs. 300.
Rates above it don’t suits vfone they apply to broadband.

This postpaid thing is going to flop.

Details of the package can be seen on warid site.

http://waridtel.com/consumer/glow.php

Interesting features are

Free* calls to your 10 GLOW GANG Friends (First minute charges of 2.25+tax).

Unlimited* SMS bundles

Free* mobile entertainment.

Warid is surely going to Rock the telecom scenario with this new brand.

This is gr8. Now we will be able to enjoy the same packages.

Hurrah!!!!

Dear Customer, due to maintenance activity our contact center 111365111 would not be available from 12:00 AM till 6:00 AM. We apologize for the inconvenience.

“Dear Sir/Madam,
This is with accordance to your mail regarding the SMS delivery reports. We express our sincere regrets for the delayed response and for the inconvenience caused to you. In compliance to the same, we would like to clarify that in order to ensure a high quality SMS sending experience for all our valued customers, automatic SMS Delivery confirmation will not be available. However, as soon as the referred facility is resumed, we would certainly inform our valued subscribers. We are highly indebted for your cooperation in the meanwhile.
Please feel free to contact us on our 24-hour Call Center (333), mail us at P.O Box 3333, Islamabad or register your complaint by visiting our website www.ufone.com, in case you require any further assistance
Thank you for being our valued customer and we look forward to serve you in the future
Yours Sincerely,

Customer Care Operations”

I think this was after their recent package of unlimited sms at Rs. 2.99 per day, to accommodate load on the servers.

They should better had upgraded their system before launching that package rather than to deprive customers of a service.

I like the delivery reports service and ufone should restore it.

Ufone must upgrade its system the sooner the better. As there are other operators available and I can switch just to have those delivery report

Any one disagreeing with me??

It is never connecting. The device connects to Wimax network but Internet doesn’t get connected.

I am unable to understand the reason behind that.

It is making me think that I should better use ptcl wireless. At least that don’t give me the illusion that I am using BroadBand.

Sr. # UrEDGE package Name Package Volume Subscription Charges Price per MB Validity Activation SMS Shortcode 1. UrEDGE 5 5 MB Rs. 50/- Rs. 10/- 15 Days 801 2. UrEDGE 30 30 MB Rs. 150/- Rs. 5.00/- 30 Days 802 3. UrEDGE Unlimited Fair Use Policy* Rs. 500/- Rs. 0.33/- 30 Days 803

* 1.5 GB data transfer limit as per fair use policy.

A fair usage policy of 1.5 GB is applied on the unlimited package. Thats not fair. Although ufone claims it to be the lowest mobile internet charges ever its not so.  Zong unlimited internet is even lower with Rs. 400/month for unlimited GPRS/EDGE. This package is surely not good if you want to use it with your PC because of the Data Transfer Limit and Cost.
The actual cost that the customer has to pay will be about Rs. 695 ( Rs. 500 + 21 % GST + 10% Advance Income Tax + 5% Service Charges). And the speed certainly is not very good. However, for use on your cell phone the package is ok.

Complete packages & tariff details can be pulled by sending SMS ‘info’ to 800 and to check remaining data package volume & expiry date you can send USSD command to *706# or call 706.   After expiry of UrEDGE Data package the data charges will be reverted to standard GPRS charges of Rs. 15/- per MB.

“Telenor Pakistan has installed two dedicated portable BTS towers called Cell on Wheels (COW’s) to provide uninterrupted communication in Wam, Balochistan; the earthquake affected areas. Free mobile connections and air time has also been distributed amongst selected national and international NGO’s rescue & relief workers, to assist them in their rehabilitation work.”  (ProPakistani.com)

Such relief activities by corporate entities are highly commendable. Other companies should also come up and help in relief activities.

However this also shows that Balochistan is left far behind in telecom race, having least coverage by any network. It is true that companies may not be getting huge profits by investing there. But government should subsidize to increase network penetration in the province, whose people are already feeling deprived and left behind.