This is the first guest post on TelecomPk. The purpose of guest posts is to include diverse voices and view points about Pakistan telecom. -Babar
Guest Post By Safeer Ullah Khan
Pakistan’s telecom sector has seen phenomenal progress during past decade. It was deregulated in 1996. Since then, there has been no looking back. It has more than 48million cell phone users, and nearly 1.5 million wireless phone users. Landline is an old story.
Though this phenomenal growth has brought huge benefits to the people of Pakistan, yet it has its downside also. As Pakistan has nominal consumer protection laws, the consumers are being fleeced by every kind manufacturer/business including telecom operators. Wrong billing, deceptive price formulas, connectivity, clarity of voice, sale of used prepaid cards, deceptive advertisements, and lack of any compensation for damages incurred due to bad service of telecom operator are only a few.
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority established a complaint cell in 2002 to “facilitate and resolve the complaints made by an individual or a group against Telecommunication services”. Complaints can be reported by a toll free number (0800-55055) or using an online form. However there is no public information about the volume of complaints or its rate of successful resolution of these complaints. Judging from the situation, PTA complaint cell performance has not been satisfactory.
Consumers’ lack of awareness about their rights compounds the problem. Most of the people do not know that they can sue a company for bad service. Their complaints are not resolved. I am in touch with an independent Consumer Complaint Cell being run by The Network for Consumer Protection in Pakistan and know, first hand, that small problems are not resolved by the companies for which people have to turn to Consumer Complaint Cell.
Two large companies (PTCL holding sway in wireless and landline service, and Mobilink having largest number of mobile phone subscribers) are creating problems, which directly affect consumers. PTCL has refused to cut down bandwidth rates, while Mobilink is dragging its feet over Mobile Number Portability issue. Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has so far been unsuccessful in taming them.
I believe that this is happening because telecom users are not organized and do not have any say in these affairs. Telecom users need to get organized and establish an Association: Telecom Consumers Association, Pakistan (TCPA) that represents them and guides them in telecom related issues. The Association would make demands on these companies on behalf of telecom consumers. If a company does not behave, it can ask its members to boycott such company.
The Association can take up following functions:
- It can create awareness among consumers about their rights with special focus on telecom consumers.
- It can conduct quality and popularity surveys independently and let the consumers know which company offers best service.
- It can keep an eye on the advertisements being aired by telecom operators and warn (or even sue) companies about unethical or deceptive advertisements.
- It can inform its members and public about misleading advertisements of telecom operators.
- It can have a good liaison with telecom operators to inform them about consumer issues and concerns.
- It can mobilize telecom consumers to arrange peaceful protest rallies against companies that indulge in anti-consumer activities.
- It can support and encourage Pakistan Telecom Authority to be tough on companies to protect consumers.
- It can take up issues like reduction of broadband price and Mobile Number Portability and pressurize large companies to become consumer friendly.
- It can mobilize policy makers/law makers to enact and implement consumer protection laws especially with provisions for compensation.
This is not a complete document. Nevertheless, it can work as a prototype for a big consumer protection association. This will set a trend, and consumers, in other sectors, would replicate it to protect their interests. It can become pioneer consumer protection association of Pakistan. Though it is merely a dream today, yet I have not doubt about its becoming a reality eventually. The sooner we make it happen, the better!
Safeer Ullah Khan is Editor of Sarif ki Pasand, The Network for Consumer Protection. He is based in Islamabad, Pakistan and can be reached at safeer1977@yahoo.com.
9 comments
Comments feed for this article
January 29, 2007 at 9:22 am
Aqeel Syed
I’m myself a victim of V-PTCL and Mobilink. Both these services suck
V-PTCL’s help line is worset help line any Telecom company offering. Even small calling cards companies does have better help line services. Stupid people, creation of refrence culture.
Their call rates are the highest in Pakistan and their service standard is the lowest. The edge they have over others is their coverge. They are looting people in small towns and rural ares.
…and May-be-link!! They suck
It would be a pleasure to see any such Consumer Assosication establish or if a consumer successfully sue any of these companies.
A well chosen guest post. Hope you keep up the good work Mr. Bhati
January 30, 2007 at 9:43 am
Babar Bhatti
As an example, sky high broadband rates have been a consumer concern for a long time. PTCL has resisted all efforts to bring down the tarrifs and taken PTA to court. PTCL even denied rate cut for its international bandwidth service despite announcement in June 2006. See this:
http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=40227
February 14, 2007 at 3:17 pm
Nadeem Malik
The average monthly bill which I recieve is Rs 1500 is around 750 minutes for the entire month and 25 minutes per day, which is impossible Neither I or anyone in my family talks that long the phone. PTCL simply picks an abritrary figure and sends it as a phone bill. If the meter at the respective PTCL stations are checked they probably are all rigged for over-charging. I don’t use my mobile phone for more than a minute on any given day,there is no rigging there because one knows which numbers call regularly. If PTCL wants to keep be around in respectable manner it should stop over-billing What I fail to understand why does PTCL has an additional surcharge in case the bill is paid late? What does PTCL do extra to desrve receiving additional surchage for late payment?
February 14, 2007 at 4:12 pm
Babar Bhatti
Nadeem - thanks for sharing your experience. Have you tried to file a complaint with PTA? I know that PTA has warned companies about billing errors in the past but it has not changed anything.
March 25, 2007 at 6:52 pm
Shuja Khan
Well i have complained once coz this sob paktel was giving that type of service which u cant even imagine even voice chat on yahoo is far better than having a chat on a mobile fone using paktel service in a city like karachi. I cant have a call more than a minute and all i was just saying that hello….hello….meri awaz arahi hai? And call drops. So after complaining i recieve a call from paktel regarding complain but stil this problem was not solved at the time of writing.
March 25, 2007 at 7:59 pm
Babar Bhatti
I bet if you call paktel now and tell them that you are switching they will try to win you back. But it may be too late!
July 17, 2007 at 6:23 am
Mohammad Amin
After the privatization PTCL services are quiet disappointing. My Telephone No.5304708 from Jauhar Town Exchange is out of order since last 1 month. Despite repeated complaints , no body has attended my complaint.
Mohammad Amin
25-Ali Town, 1-KM, raiwind Road Lahore Opposite Lahore University.
October 7, 2007 at 11:05 pm
Syed Zia Hiader
My telephone number 4648512 from Gulzar-e-Hijri Exchange is out of order since 1 month, no body solve the problem
Dated: 08-oct-2007
May 20, 2008 at 1:07 am
sibghat ullah ahsan
i am also a victim of ptcl.
and after privitisation their services are very much disppointing and they are earning by not completely conveying their packages. now PTCL has started charging 4 calls if we use one hour internet service of other isp,s than PTCL.
Looooters.
Down with PTCL