Ufone 4G Ramzan offer brings big roaming data buckets for Saudi Arabia

Islamabad: Pakistani telecom operator Ufone 4G brings a new range of prepaid data roaming packages for Saudi Arabia to help customers stay connected to their loved ones. Ufone 4G offers the industry’s best and most economical data services through Saudi Telecommunication Company (STC) and Mobily networks covering the entirety of the Holy land. Apart from high-speed data, the offer also brings unrestricted access to all social media platforms including WhatsApp, so now you can enjoy uninterrupted WhatsApp audio and video calls around the globe.

To enjoy seamless services at affordable prices, Ufone 4G users can now dial *506# and choose from three economical prepaid data roaming packages to satisfy all their data needs. For PKR 350 customers can enjoy 1,000 MBs, for PKR 700 customers can subscribe to 2,500 MBs and for PKR 1,500 customers can satisfy their big-data needs with 5,000 MBs. All data roaming buckets are valid for 30 days and allow customers to enjoy glitch-free services without any restrictions.

Through the much needed offering, Ufone 4G has once again guaranteed that the telecom operator caters to the needs of its valuable customers traveling to Saudi Arabia during Ramzan by providing them with affordable and easy data solutions. Whether they want to check their emails, browse through their social media, share pictures of the holy places with their dear ones or enjoy unlimited video and voice calls on WhatsApp, Ufone 4G is dedicated to offering great value through lucrative data benefits, allowing its customers to reduce distances and stay connected with their family and friends any time of the day.

Ufone 4G is always at the forefront to facilitate its users through the best product and services offerings in the industry. Being a customer-centric company, it continues to expand its products and services portfolio by continuously improving its voice and data services. To subscribe to data roaming buckets, users can dial *506#

For terms and conditions, customers can visit the Ufone 4G website or dial helpline 333.

https://www.ufone.com/prepaid-data-roaming/

Get Unlimited Data & Calls with new Ufone Post Pay Prime

Pakistani telecom operator, Ufone 4G in line with its commitment to enhancing the user experience of its valued consumers has introduced a unique post-paid product ‘Ufone Post Pay Prime’.

Owing to the growing demand for uninterrupted and seamless communication especially in terms of calls and data, including video streaming, calling, conferencing, messaging, socializing, and glitch-free gaming with the fastest 4G network, Ufone 4G through its latest Post Pay Prime package will provide a single solution with ease and convenience.

The newest Post Pay Prime packages also offer flexibility and convenience giving customers the liberty to choose from three prime packages. Prime 750 available at PKR 750 is an affordable price package for starters offering 10 GB of data, 7500 on-net & PTCL minutes, 400 off-net minutes, and 2000 SMS. The mid-range Prime 1200 package, as the name suggests available at PKR 1200, offers more value for money that includes 20 GB of data, 7500 on-net & PTCL minutes, 750 off-net minutes, and 7500 SMS whereas the premium Prime 2000 package that is available for PKR 2000 offers 40 GB of data, 7500 on-net & PTCL minutes, 1200 off-net minutes, and 7500 SMS. All charges mentioned are inclusive of tax.

With the launch of this latest product, Ufone 4G has yet again proved that it is at the forefront to provide customer centric products and services that are not only reliable, but also delivers a seamless experience. The company is dedicated to ensuring flexible and convenient solutions that provide consumers with packages that are exclusively designed to not only addresses their voice and data needs but deliver a matchless user experience round the clock.

Customers can subscribe the packages through Ufone Joint Shops, and franchises. Additional inquiries about the packages are available here: https://www.ufone.com/postpayprime/

Ericsson embraces 5G edge opportunity with new Local Packet Gateway

Ericsson launches the Ericsson Local Packet Gateway, enabling CSPs to unlock innovative edge opportunities in both hybrid private networks segments and on the network edge, to support high-data bandwidth and low-latency use cases. The Ericsson Local Packet Gateway is an all-in-one appliance – including hardware, Container-as-a-Service (CaaS), software and lifecycle management – that makes edge applications easy to deploy and manage.

The optimized cloud-native user plane and service functions will enable new 5G edge use cases. It has a very compact deployment in a one-server low footprint, with integrated lifecycle management enabling fast time-to-service for new edge use cases.

The Ericsson Local Packet Gateway brings dual-mode 5G Core user plane and network slicing to the edge, enabling both mobile broadband and enterprise use cases, from small user plane deployment in a CSP core network, to routing to local applications. Examples of CSP enterprise use cases include sport events applications, virtual reality (VR) gaming and augmented reality (AR) for inspecting factory quality.

Laurent Leboucher, Orange group CTO & Senior Vice President Orange Innovation Networks says: “At Orange, we continue developing meaningful networks to adapt to the needs and uses all over the world. According to enterprise customers’ needs, a first option is to create a virtual private network on Orange’s public network. A second solution is to create a hybrid private network relying on shared equipment in the Orange network and dedicated equipment at the customer’s site for critical flows and data. Ericsson’s 5G Core for standalone, including the Local Packet Gateway help us meet both these enterprise customers’ needs.”

Monica Zethzon, Head of Solution Area Packet Core, Ericsson, says: “With the launch of the Ericsson Local Packet Gateway we have taken yet another step in supporting our CSP customers to address the enterprise market, by providing a powerful, slimmed-down user plane that’s easy to deploy at the edge, using an integrated lifecycle management making it easy to scale.”

Caroline Chappell, Research Director, AnalysysMason, says: “CSPs want flexibility in deploying 5G private networks and delivering network slices and will therefore need a user plane solution that is fast and easy to install and manage on customer premises. Ericsson Local Packet Gateway, with its pre-integrated, appliance-based solution including in-built lifecycle management and a form factor optimized for the enterprise edge, will be familiar from a management perspective and help with time-to-service for new enterprise use cases.”

PTA ranks Ufone 4G as Pakistan’s No.1 Voice and Data Network

Islamabad: Ufone 4G has emerged as Pakistan’s No. 1 Voice and Data network in Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s (PTA), ‘Mobile Networks Benchmark Report for 2022’. PTA used Network Performance Score (NPS) methodology to ascertain service quality across the country. The integrated innovative methodology, standardized by European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) allows regulators to assess network performances through automated tests of simulated Voice, Data and SMS usage behaviors of end users.

The report reaffirms the company’s strong focus on delivering the highest quality connectivity to its customers to enhance their user experience. Ufone 4G topped the nationwide benchmarking campaign, where the company’s Voice and Data services scored the highest aggregate total of 634 out of 800.

The study was held across all federal and provincial capitals including four towns, along with four major motorways & highways to ascertain the quality of mobile networks. PTA survey teams made more than 15 thousand Voice calls and conducted 45 thousand Data tests across an area of approximately 4,522 kilometers in length at these locations.

Ufone 4G achieved highest scores for its Voice and Data services, with a significantly higher margin against the industry benchmarks and other Cellular Mobile Operators (CMOs) in Pakistan. The Pakistani telecom company demonstrated the best call setup performance and the strongest data network across all cities and towns surveyed by the regulator.

The steady improvement in the Ufone 4G’s network quality and coverage was witnessed following its acquisition of 4G spectrum and investment in enhancing and modernizing its network in line with its long-term commitment to improve the user experience of its customers.

It is the second survey by PTA in a year. The regulator carries out telecom benchmarking campaigns from time to time to assess network quality and performance as well as to spur healthy competition in the industry, thereby encouraging delivery of quality service to telecom users.

PTA’s latest ranking reaffirms Ufone 4G’s long term endeavor to transform the way customers experience telecom services. To that end, the company acquired 4G spectrum and continues to innovate and modernize its network to deliver the best Voice and Data experience to the users because users remain at the heart of everything Ufone 4G ever undertakes, as is evident from its cherished brand slogan, Tum He Tou Ho!

HH Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan commends e& for steering its global digitalization leadership

The new brand demonstrates the Group’s commitment to become a global technology and investment conglomerate that accelerates the digital transformation journey while empowering societies.
HH Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan commends e& for steering its global digitalization leadership through pioneering advanced technologies, advancing ICT infrastructures, and fueling growth while unlocking value.
The launch further strengthens the UAE’s standing as the Middle East technology and digitalization hub.

His Highness Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Minister of Presidential Affairs, today launched e&, marking the transformation ambitions of Etisalat Group into a global technology and investment conglomerate.

Commenting on the launch, HH Sheikh Mansour emphasized the importance of capitalizing on opportunities that the fast-evolving business landscape continues to present in the age of technological disruption. He commended the efforts of e& in devising a more progressive business model that sustains its hype scaling ambitions, promotes new ventures and partnerships, and maximizes value across its operations.

His Highness said, “The transformation of e& from a telecom company founded more than four decades ago in the UAE into a global influence in digitalization highlights its role in upholding the UAE’s sustainable economic development and diversification plans. We commend e& for being the national champion that steers its global digitalization leadership through pioneering advanced technologies, advancing ICT infrastructures, and fueling geographic expansions while unlocking value.”

The launch of the new brand identity for Etisalat Group was attended by His Excellency Mohammad bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, H.E. Mohamed Bin Hadi Al Hussaini, Minister of State for Financial Affairs and H.E. Jassem Mohamed Bu Ataba Alzaabi, Chairman of e&.

The ambitious strategy

As part of its strategy, e& will enhance customers experiences across all segments by ideating, designing, and delivering a range of innovative and breakthrough technologies, driven by its track record of success. This strategy is aimed at accelerating growth through the creation of a resilient business model that is representing the Group’s main business pillars.

identity while upholding the Group’s rich telecoms heritage, bolstering the Group’s strong telecoms infrastructure and maximizing value for its customer segments, in the UAE and internationally. In addition, it will expand into new geographic markets while continuing to drive operational performance in the 16 markets where it operates.

e& life is focused on enhancing customer delight by becoming an integral part of the lives of its customers. The business pillar has already made robust plans to deliver next-generation technologies and digital experiences that will bring the world to the customers’ fingertips through smart connectivity platforms in entertainment, retail and financial services.

e& enterprise will be the driving force behind the digital transformation of governments, corporates and enterprises. Through its breakthrough technology solutions in cybersecurity, cloud, Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), as well as deploying mega projects, e& enterprise will create real business value as it continues to leverage on its expertise as a digital managed company having the strength and reach of a global trusted partner.

Maximizing shareholder value while strengthening global presence is key to the e& strategy to empower societies. e& capital will act as a pillar for growth for the Group as it drives new acquisitions and mergers in line with its vision for investing in ideas that make the future.

The evolution e& comes at the heels of the Group’s strong financial performance as well as several milestones that contributed to the transformation. More recently, e& ranked first in the Forbes MENA Top 10 most valuable listed companies in the UAE. The Group was also named the strongest telecoms brand in the world. Accumulating success year on year has taken place in light of the considerable investments the Group has made in maintaining its 5G network prowess, investing in breakthrough technologies, aggressive market penetrations, deploying megaprojects, driving smarter connectivity, and pursuing strong partnerships.

A new era built on solid foundations

H.E. Jassem Mohamed Bu Ataba Alzaabi, Chairman of e&, said, “This is a milestone in the history of the Group, and a new era where we reaffirm our commitment to deliver outstanding customer experiences and maximize value for our shareholders. To ensure that the next chapter of our journey is a success, we made the decision to realign our business model so that we can stay agile and fit for the future.

“This successful journey has been made possible through the continuous support of the UAE leadership as we become key enablers in the digital transformation taking place globally across all industries.”

He added, “Our evolution is built on the solid foundations of several historical achievements, multiple milestones and robust financial performance, highlighting our global technological leadership and our confidence in leading change for growth. During this time, we have also worked tirelessly to ensure that our solutions positively impact people’s lives at every touchpoint. We are now ready to be the future-focussed nexus that will drive more positive change for our customers and shareholders through our robust expertise.”

Transformation driven by thought leadership

e& has already demonstrated its robust industry leadership when it comes to digital transformation when it announced the establishment of its consumer digital and enterprise digital business units, in addition to attracting partners from around the world to contribute to the digitalization growth journey.

Commenting on the launch of the new brand and its transformation strategy, Hatem Dowidar, Group CEO of e& said, “The evolution as e& embodies our commitment to double down on enhancing the quality of our solutions while surpassing customer expectations and maximizing value creation for our shareholders. Our robust transformation plans will focus on running our business operations more efficiently, diversifying our revenue streams as well as helping our enterprise customers achieve their digital transformation goals adeptly.

“We will continue to identify new growth opportunities, take full advantage of strong partnerships and maintain our edge as the global technology investment conglomerate that makes a difference in people’s lives.”

Hatem Dowidar added, “The digitalization acceleration during the pandemic offered a new realm of opportunities for us to serve our customers better as they seek more seamless and enhanced digital experiences. Our strong business continuity principles and adept crisis management, combined with our growth mindset, have dramatically impacted our business growth across our operations. We seized the moment to become future makers who are confident to lead a transformation of such grand scale, whether it is being master innovators or enablers of digitalization in markets where we operate.

“We are keen to contribute to a knowledge-based economy that will digitally empower societies as we move forward with our mission to pioneer next-generation technologies, build breakthrough partnerships and create a new world powered by all of us.”

PTCL posts highest revenue growth since 2013

The country’s leading telecom and ICT services provider, Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL), posted 7% growth in its revenues, owing to a robust commercial strategy that cements its market standing.

The company has announced its annual financial results for the year 2021 at its Board of Directors’ meeting on February 10, 2022.

PTCL Group

PTCL Group posted a revenue of Rs 138 billion in the year 2021 which is 6.3% higher as compared to 2020.
PTCL continued its growth trajectory by posting 7% YoY revenue growth which is the highest since 2013.
PTML (Ufone) also posted a revenue growth of 4.3% despite stiff competition in the market.
U Bank continued its growth momentum and has achieved 8.4% growth in revenue.
PTCL Group has posted a net profit of Rs 2.6 billion.

PTCL

PTCL continued its strong performance throughout 2021. PTCL’s revenue of Rs 77 billion for the year 2021 is 7% higher than 2020, mainly driven by Broadband and Corporate & Wholesale business segments.
PTCL registered highest Fixed broadband Sales and Net Adds in 2021 since 2015, which allowed PTCL to grow in the broadband business segment.

PTCL is the fastest growing Fiber-To-The-Home (FTTH) operator with highest Net adds within FTTH market in 2021.
The company has posted operating profit of Rs 4.2 billion, which is higher by 21% compared to 2020.
Net profit of Rs 6.9 billion is higher by 14% as compared to last year.

The company is continuously upgrading its existing infrastructure and network, besides expanding FTTH across the country to offer seamless connectivity for greater customer experience. Prompt deployment of FTTH and strong performance in Corporate and Wholesale segments are the cornerstone in PTCL’s topline growth, which along with focus on cost optimization program, has significantly increased the company’s profitability.

PTCL Consumer Business:

During 2021, the company’s Fixed Broadband business grew by 11.7% YoY, whereas PTCL IPTV segment also grew by 13% YoY. Within broadband business, PTCL Flash Fiber, the company’s groundbreaking FTTH service, showed a tremendous growth of 61.5%, whereas PTCL CharJi /Wireless Broadband Segment grew by 16.5%. Voice revenue stream has declined on account of lower voice traffic and continued conversion of customers to Over-The-Top (OTT) services.

Business Services:

Business services segment continued its momentum sustaining market leadership in IP Bandwidth, Cloud, Data Center, and other ICT services segments. PTCL’s Enterprise business grew by 10% as compared to last year, while Carrier and Wholesale business continued its growth momentum and achieved 9% overall revenue growth. Similarly, international business growth was recorded at 4%.

Being the national telecom carrier and connectivity backbone in Pakistan, PTCL Group strives to provide innovative solutions to accelerate growth for a ‘Digital Pakistan’ through robust telecommunication infrastructure and a diverse portfolio of services with enhanced customer experience.

PTML – Ufone:

Ufone’s financial year 2021 ended on a high note despite challenging operating environment
Ufone revenues grew by 4.3% as compared to 2020 mainly driven by growth in data services
Ufone acquired additional 9 MHz 4G spectrum in the 1800 MHz Band in NGMS spectrum auction in September 2021, fulfilling its commitment to provide enhanced customer experience through quality services across Pakistan.
Post spectrum auction, significant network modernization activity was carried out in Q4 2021 that has allowed Ufone to significantly improve its share of the 4G net adds within the industry.

PTCL Group is playing a key role in supporting Universal Service Fund’s (USF) efforts for the development of telecommunication services in un-served and under-served areas of the country. This year, PTCL was awarded seven USF optical fiber projects for far flung areas of Punjab, KPK and Sindh provinces. Under these projects, PTCL will deploy a total of 4,690 KM optical fiber. Ufone was awarded five USF projects under the Broadband for Sustainable Development (BSD) umbrella during 2021 for the unserved and under-served areas of Baluchistan which involve deployment and network upgrade of 205 BTS sites.

UBank

UBank, the microfinance and branchless banking subsidiary of PTCL, continued its growth trajectory and has achieved 8.4% growth in its revenue over last year by increasing its advances portfolio. The balance sheet footing of the bank crossed the Rs 100 billion mark as the bank diversified its funding streams and asset classes while ensuring positive bottom-line impact.

Major strategic initiatives undertaken by the bank include venturing into the low-cost housing loans, international remittance, and the launch of Islamic Banking. The bank intends to invest in state-of-the-art technology to become a leading digital banking player. With the core mission of microfinance at its heart, the business model of the bank is evolving to capture new segments and customer classes to include more of Pakistan into the banking net and further its ambition of financial and social inclusion.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

During 2021, PTCL ran the second cohort of its flagship internship program ‘Justuju’ for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in collaboration with ‘Network of Organizations Working with Persons with Disabilities, Pakistan’ (NOWPDP).

PTCL provided internet connectivity to 11 campuses of the Pehli Kiran Schools Islamabad in an effort to support the Education Sector in Pakistan. PTCL Razakaar and the company’s employee volunteer force undertook a comprehensive clothes donation drive in partnership with Akhuwat Clothes Bank for deserving communities across Pakistan.

Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (SKMCH&RC) recognized the PTCL Razakaar Trust for its generous donation towards augmenting COVID-19 testing facilities of the center during the peak of the pandemic in 2020.

Ufone 4G offers an industry first unlimited free internet

Pakistani telecom company, Ufone 4G is offering unlimited free internet every day to help customers experience its superior data quality and blazing speeds. ‘Muft Mornings’ brings Ufone 4G users unlimited data from 9AM to 12 noon every day as a limited time promo without any underlying charges.

Ufone 4G acquired 4G spectrum recently to fulfill its long-time commitment of delivering top quality data services to its customers. As promised, the transition has significantly improved the network quality and internet speeds, thereby bringing Ufone 4G customers a superior user experience, which the ‘Muft Mornings’ offer seeks to extend to more customers, so that they can also relish true enablement.

‘Muft Mornings’ is the first and only offer in the industry to provide data entirely free of cost and without any hidden charges, at time when most customers can actually use internet. It not only ushers in top quality connectivity to customers but also brings superior 4G experience within the grasp of low-income groups, students and youngsters to enjoy unlimited free internet for education, entertainment and all communication needs.

With Muft Mornings offer, Ufone 4G users can explore endless possibilities including enjoying unlimited downloads, Internet browsing, YouTube, online streaming, gaming, social media or can even replay the entire match of their favourite PSL team if they feel like.

The offer highlights Ufone 4G’s long term pursuit to raise the bar in network quality, seamless connectivity and internet speed in the telecom industry to generate a cascading effect for data users in general. The company’s continuous innovation and investment in network up-gradation and modernization spurs health growth and innovation trends in the industry.

All prepaid Ufone 4G users are eligible for the free data offer and can enjoy unlimited downloads and streaming by simply dialing *4200# from their handsets. The offer will allow subscribers to use internet for the next 14 days.

The unique offer consolidates Ufone 4G’s image as a customer-centric Pakistani brand that is always on the lookout for opportunities for enabling and empowering its customers. The company’s endless pursuit and long-term commitment to deliver the best value to its customers are beautifully captured in its cherished slogan, signaling its deep customer focus, ‘Tum Hi Tou Ho!’

Ufone contributes free high-speed internet devices ‘Blaze’ to KP Women Civic Internship Program

Pakistani telecom company, Ufone 4G has provided its flagship Wifi internet device; ‘Blaze’ to each participant of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Women Civic Internship Program, to support their pursuit for personal and professional growth and gratification.

The first cohort of the Women Internship Program is a joint partnership between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Technology Board (KPITB), Code for Pakistan, The World Bank, and the Swiss development agency, Helvetas, spanning 6-month active training and professional engagement. It has been designed to help equip fresh graduates with technological skills, practical job experience and prepare women graduates for exploring careers in Engineering, IT, and Software Development.

Currently, women from different regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are enrolled in the program, during the course of which they will get an opportunity to work on citizen-facing digital services to improve citizen engagement, automate government processes, and create innovation in public service delivery. Besides creating immense social value, the engagement will also enhance their own skill set and help them emerge as better professionals by the end of the program.

“The goals of the internship program align well with Ufone’s long term commitment of enabling and empowering the society, particularly the underprivileged section of society including the women from remote areas” spokesperson for PTCL & Ufone said while commenting on the development. “Ufone has been leveraging the power of the internet for growth and development at the individual as well as societal levels. Over the years, we have actively fostered connectivity across underserved and unserved regions and brought large swathes population into the fold of digital inclusion. Our efforts are motivated by our conviction that digitization can help unlock Pakistan’s full potential for equitable economic growth and sustainability, for which we will continue to actively strive and engage”, he further added.

Dr. Ali Mahmud, Managing Director of KPITB, termed the initiative an important step towards empowering women, commended the role of Code for Pakistan as long standing partners and thanked Ufone for its support. He indicated that the initiative will be scaled up in the future to create a bigger impact leading towards a more equitable digital inclusion.

“We are delighted to partner with Ufone 4G to deliver Blaze to women Interns from the KP Women Civic Internship Program,” said Anam Zakaria, Code for Pakistan’s Head of Fellowships. “Ufone’s support will enable us to connect seamlessly with women from wherever they are, paving career pathways, enhancing civic engagement and unleashing professional development opportunities. We are excited about the partnership and, in collaboration with Ufone 4G and our partners from the KPITB, The World Bank and Helvetas Swiss Inter-cooperation, look forward to creating long-term impact for Women in Tech across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.”

Ufone ‘Blaze’ is a handy plug-and-play 4G Wifi device that that enables users to connect to the internet from their homes. Packaged with Ufone’s superior 4G internet to cater to the needs of all user segments, the device offers the industry’s biggest internet bundles at the most affordable prices. Considering the need and dependence on quality internet in the program, Ufone ‘Blaze’ will come in handy in keeping the participants connected to seamless internet with blazing speeds at all times.

Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training sign an MOU with Telenor Pakistan to pilot Taleemabad in Model Virtual Schools

Taking another leap towards fulfilling the Digital Pakistan ambition, Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Telenor Pakistan to pilot Taleemabad in six primary level public schools to be called Model Virtual Schools. The signing ceremony was held today at the Ministry of Federal Education and was attended by Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mehmood, CEO Telenor Pakistan, Irfan Wahab Khan and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Telenor Pakistan, Kamal Ahmad.

Under this partnership Telenor Pakistan aims at extending high-quality standardized digital education to the underserved students and schools in Pakistan through its award winning EdTech platform, Taleemabad, which is the country’s first digital education platform based on the Single National Curriculum (SNC) and is endorsed by the Ministry of Federal Education. At the pilot stage Telenor Pakistan will be equipping six Model Virtual Schools with basic IT hardware and digital learning management system for teachers, students and administration while also providing them with the tools and skills necessary to cope with the new normal. This development is part of a broad-based partnership to empower learners and educators through Taleemabad’s digital platform and ensure uninterrupted, uniform and affordable education for all.

Commenting on the development, Irfan Wahab Khan, CEO Telenor Pakistan said, “With over 23 million out-of-school children across the country, we believe it is our responsibility to innovate and introduce sustainable solutions that enable masses through digitalisation and can stand the test of time. It is through interventions like Taleemabad and collaborations like this that we aim to address the socio-economic disparities affecting out-of-school children across the nation. We are humbled and pleased to have joined hands with the Ministry of Education and Professional Training through Taleemabad app to bring online the Single National Curriculum and advance together towards the vision of a Digital Pakistan.”

Furthering its commitment to reduce inequalities, Telenor Pakistan aims to take digital learning to one million out-of-school children. Telenor Pakistan aims to achieve this feat by 2023, making education more accessible through the power of technology, bridging the digital skills gap and contributing to the EdTech ecosystem, while supporting the government in its Digital Pakistan ambition.

Etisalat crowned as the strongest telecom brand in the world

Etisalat becomes the first brand from the MEA region to achieve this global recognition by Brand Finance among 500 global brands
With a telecom portfolio brand value of over USD 12.5 billion, Etisalat has also retained its position as both MEA’s most valuable telecom portfolio as well as strongest brand across all categories

Group CEO Hatem Dowidar is ranked in the Elite List of Brand Guardians globally, jumping 4 places compared to last year’s ranking

Islamabad – January 27, 2022: Etisalat has been ranked as the world’s strongest telecom brand and is the first in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region to achieve this milestone recognition by Brand Finance, the world’s leading brand valuation authority.

With a telecom portfolio of well over US$ 12.5 billion, Etisalat not only retained its AAA brand rating but also its position in MEA as the strongest brand across all categories and the most valuable brand portfolio.

Committed to customer value creation

Eng. Hatem Dowidar, CEO, Etisalat Group, said: “To be recognised as the world’s strongest telecom brand and as the most valuable telecom brand portfolio in MEA underline the success of our strategic initiatives to build a robust telecom infrastructure that creates added value for our customers wherever we serve. With our relentless focus on being customer-centric, we continue to push our horizons by investing in next generation technology that enhance our service offering and help shape the digital future.”

He added: “In this digital-first era, our focus is to be agile to meet the evolving requirements of our customers and deliver relevant and flexible services. Since our inception in 1976, we have been led by a vision to create a world-class telecom infrastructure that is central to economic progress.”

Astute brand leadership

Brand Finance also named Eng. Hatem Dowidar to the Elite List of Brand Guardians globally, jumping 4 places compared to last year’s ranking. This recognises the ground-breaking initiatives that he launched since he joined Etisalat in September 2015, which played a key role in propelling Etisalat’s business growth. Assuming the role of Group CEO in 2020, he stewarded the company’s growth through the fast-changing telecom and technology landscape following the COVID-19 pandemic. His astute brand stewardship served as the foundation for enhancing Etisalat’s brand reputation as well as employee engagement.

David Haigh, Chairman and CEO, Brand Finance, said: “Guided by the vision to ‘drive the digital future to empower societies’, Etisalat is the world’s strongest telecoms brand of 2022, as well as retaining its status as the strongest brand in the Middle East and Africa for the second consecutive year. Etisalat’s brand focuses on togetherness and plays its part by providing a first-class telecoms infrastructure across its footprint. Exceptional rollout of 5G technology has also meant that the Etisalat Group’s portfolio of brands is the most valuable amongst telecoms organisations in the Middle East.”

Attributing the success to his team at Etisalat, Dowidar added: “Our significant brand value growth is the result of the contributions and dedication of our employees across all the markets where we operate. Alongside our partners, they are the cornerstones of our efforts to be a digital-first company that is future-ready, while upholding our vision to empower societies, and turn challenges into opportunities.”

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Path-breaking achievements

Etisalat’s robust fibre-optic infrastructure enhances the customer experiences across all business operations. Etisalat raised the benchmark as the world’s fastest network by delivering the best 5G experience at Expo 2020 Dubai as its official telecommunication and digital services partner, surpassing the expectations of millions of visitors. Etisalat has built a dedicated network for Expo 2020, which is the first 5G commercial site in MENA with more than 8,000 Wi-Fi access points, 8,500 mobile access points, and 700 km of fibre-optic cable.

Etisalat has leveraged its 46 years of telecoms experience and its investment in telecom infrastructure to enable the progress of the people and business alike, in addition to supporting vital sectors such as healthcare and education, especially following the pandemic.

Empowering the digital future

As the telecom sector continues to evolve at breakneck speed, Dowidar is focused on strengthening Etisalat’s strategic role in empowering the communities it serves in global markets. “Our proven ability to deliver seamless connectivity is our differentiating strength. We are fully equipped to unlock the potential of digital technologies to drive digital transformation at all levels – from government to business to individuals. Our recognition as the world’s leading telecom brand further fuels our ambition to expand to new geographies and build innovative partnerships, underpinning Etisalat as a brand that makes a positive difference.”

Etisalat’s digital arm has already made great strides in its digital B2B services, particularly in cybersecurity, the Internet of Things (IoT), and cloud connectivity. Help Ag, Etisalat Enterprise Digital’s cybersecurity arm, protects customers against identity theft and serve as an effective digital transformation vehicle.

Brand Finance is the world’s leading independent branded business valuation and strategy authority. Founded in 1996 and headquartered in the City of London, it aims to ‘bridge the gap between marketing and finance.’ Brand Finance evaluates over 5,000 brands across all sectors and geographies every year. The 500 most valuable brands are included in the Brand Finance Global 500 report.

Earlier, Brand Finance also declared PTCL, an Etisalat subsidiary and the leading telecom operator in Pakistan as the fastest growing brand in Pakistan at a special ceremony held in Barcelona during the Mobile World Congress 2018.