Facebook launches its controversial Internet.org service in Pakistan
Facebook has teamed up with mobile carrier Telenor to bring its Internet.orgservice to Pakistan.
Internet.org lets users access a range of sites and services covering local and global news, health, finance, education and jobs at no charge. It’s available on 2G and 3G networks via browsers and an Android app.
Users will be able to log on to Accuweather, BBC, BabyCenter &MAMA, Malaria No More, UNICEF Facts for Life, Bing.com, ESPN Cricinfo, Mustakbil, ilmkidunya, Telenor News, Urdupoint Cooking, OLX, Facebook, Messenger and Wikipedia.
The service first launched in Zambia last July and is already available in more than 10 countries, including Tanzania, Kenya, Colombia, India, Indonesia and Malawi.
Pakistan reportedly has about 27 million internet users, with half of them going online via mobile devices.
While Internet.org sounds like a boon to those who can’t afford mobile data or broadband connections, its benefits are hotly debated as it restricts users’ choice and access to sources of information to only those that are part of Facebook’s program.
Shortly after the service was launched in India, several companies dropped out of Internet.org in support of net neutrality.
Mobilink Users Can Access Dawn.com for Free
Mobilink is no stranger to partnerships with organizations to provide additional services to customers. In the latest such development, Mobilink signed a partnership agreement with Dawn whereby Mobilink subscribers will be able to access dawn.com and Dawn applications without any internet charges over Mobilink’s network.
With this partnership, Dawn’s reliable news will be available on Mobilink’s mobile internet, keeping users up to date with the latest happenings.
You’ll Soon be Able to Register Vehicles, Pay Tokens Online
Motor registration has always been a tedious task because of all the manual paperwork required. Those who find it a pain will be relieved to know that they will be able to register their Motor Vehicles Online.
Recently the Minister for Finance, Taxation, and Excise Punjab Mian Mujtaba Shuja ur Rehman announced that the Excise and Taxation Department is finalizing a plan to connect all 36 districts of Punjab.
The move to an Online Vehicle Registration system will allow for a lot of flexibility. Applicants will be able to register online and choose from a selection of numbers. It will also facilitate the payment of token tax online, whereupon they will get the stickers detailing the token tax details.
According to the minister,
“Number plates will also have the qualities of our social set up, known personalities, security features and identification of the vehicles would be easier than the present system.”
They believe that this system will make it easier to get rid of corruption and allow for a proper record of all vehicles in the province. It should also help them streamline the tax revenues by improving the current system.
This facility is in addition to the online vehicle verification system which was launched a year ago. Applicants have also been able to get their computerized number plates by using existing SMS services. The move to an e-governance system should make it easier for citizens and save them a lot of time.
PTCL Expands its Next-Generation CharJi EVO Service to Faisalabad
Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) has expanded its next-generation CharJi EVO wireless broadband service to Faisalabad.
The introduction of this high speed wireless service will enable residents of Faisalabad to experience fastest wireless broadband service of the country offered by PTCL.
Launched in August 2014, CharJi EVO is Pakistan’s fastest wireless broadband service, providing connectivity at 36Mbps. The service is an addition to the successful EVO range of services already serving the residents of Faisalabad and users nationwide.
President Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce, Engineer Rizwan Ashraf was the Chief Guest at the CharJi launch event which was also attended by a large audience comprising of business community including textile, Government officials, media personalities and key representatives of IT & Education sectors of Faisalabad.
Adnan Shahid, Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) PTCL said at the launching ceremony,
Provision of cutting-edge ICT products and services has always been a conscious pursuit at PTCL. Faisalabad is one of the major industrial hubs of Pakistan, and the high speed PTCL CharJi wireless broadband backed by superior wireless network infrastructure will open new avenues of possibilities and growth for businesses and consumers alike.Our focus going forward is to ensure that our products and service delivery are simple but effective and the best available in the market. We are convinced that our products will be embraced by large segments of audience which are still not connected to the internet world.
CharJi EVO service is available in convenient dongles and Mi-Fi clouds providing a powerful internet experience, faster web browsing, HD video streaming, downloads and uploads.
Naeem Shahbaz Ul Haq, PTCL Executive Vice President (EVP) Business Zone Central said,
Launch of CharJi EVO in this region demonstrates our commitment to provide ground-breaking connectivity solutions in every area of the country. The service will enable us to create value and empower our customers further.
Muhammad Abrar Chaudhary, PTCL Regional General Manager, Faisalabad said,
Launch of CharJi EVO is aimed towards bringing convenience in the lives of our customers whose demand for high speed internet is increasing with each passing day and PTCL is striving to exceed such expectations.
The ease and comfort of CharJi EVO cloud devices with its state of the art Wi-Fi capability and fast internet browsing brings an unparalleled experience, connecting up to 10 Wi-Fi enabled devices simultaneously to PTCL’s revolutionary wireless EVO broadband network.
Pakistan IT Exports Could Cross $500 Million by June This Year
Asim Shahryar Hussain, MD Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB), revealed that IT exports of Pakistan have appreciated by an impressive 35% in the current fiscal year during a recent meeting of the PSEB directors.
He predicts the total net worth of IT exports could reach $500 million by the end of June, 2015. Moreover, he announced that a Saudi group is considering the acquisition of various IT companies to take them public via IPOs. Thus, roadshows have been planned for April end in multiple cities.
MD PSEB also stated that the number of call centers and software houses that PSEB registers went up by 12% in the initial eight months of 2014/15. He further reported that PSEB has had the honor of setting up the first Pakistan pavilion at the Mobile World Congress 2015 in Barcelona. Pakistan’s mobile apps companies got their opportunity to showcase their skills and talent with app development and design on a bigger stage as a result.
A Saudi group is considering the acquisition of various IT companies to take them public via IPOs
This meeting was presided by Anusha Rahman, the Minister of State for IT. It was meant to reflect upon the current standing of the IT industry in order to subsequently assess what steps were needed for increased investment and exports for IT sector in the long term. In the meeting where Chairman P@SHA and CEO Netsol represented the private sector, the minister conveyed that this year has been declared ‘the year of IT’ by the ministry of IT.
For this purpose, she called for public private partnership that can contribute to the capacity building of IT corporations and ultimately increase the volume of exports. PSEB’s CMMI certification program is deemed crucial for the enhancement in quality of products and services that IT companies provide.
The IT minister has also stressed the need for incubation projects along the lines of TechCity by Google that could be funded by Saarc Development Fund.
News via ProPakistani.pk
News via ProPakistani.pk
Whatsapp Voice Calling Invites Are Now Active
Normal users can finally get their hands on Whatsapp voice calling. Previously, the feature was introduced to a group of beta testers on Android who could invite other users into the group. Now it is being rolling out slowly to users across all platforms.
How to get Whatsapp Voice Calling:
In order to gain this functionality, users will have to update their app to the latest version by sideloading it from the Whatsapp website. Once this is done, a user will need to ask another user who already has the calling functionality to call them. Once a user receives a call the WhatsApp calling feature is enabled on your smartphone.
But there’s a minor problem that some users might face. The feature is enabled on the WhatsApp servers for each user and as the feature is still in early stages, there’s a possibility that the servers might be down when a user is called and they might have to wait until they are back up again. The servers are currently up and running without any hiccups.
Please don’t click on any links from unknown numbers as they contain malware
If you do not know anybody who has the functionality then you can head over to the WhatsApp’sofficial Google+ page and ask someone from the initial group to help you activate it by calling you.
It is worth warning the users that if you receive a message on any social network or messaging platform to activate your WhatsApp calling using a link or a download DO NOT accept it as such messages contain malware.
It is advised the users ask someone they know to call them or wait to receive an official invite from WhatsApp by receiving a call directly from WhatsApp’s promotional campaigners.
Punjab to Get Free Public Wi-Fi Across the Province
While it looks too ambitious even by international standards, Punjab Government yesterday approved the deployment of free public WiFi access the province, reported Express Tribune.
According to details, Free public WiFi will be made available at important educational institutions, hospitals, railway stations, airports, metro bus routes and bus stands, among other places.
While this WiFi will be free of charge for anyone, the aim is to to promote information technology in Punjab.
Free public WiFi will be made available at important educational institutions, hospitals, railway stations, airports, metro bus routes and bus stands, among other places
Express Tribune said that Shahbaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister, has given a go ahead for the project and Multan, Rawalpindi and Lahore will be the first ones to get free public WiFi.
This network of free WiFi will expand further to stretch across the province.
The purpose of this programme is to promote education in the province with the help of modern technology.
Along with approval of Free Public WiFi across Punjab, CM also approved a proposal to provide tablets to teachers of mathematics and science subjects from Class-VI to X.
Students of Class V to VIII of public sector schools who obtain prominent positions in annual examinations will also be given tablets.
Shahbaz added that the Punjab Information Technology Board has also started the programme of digitalisation of textbooks with the cooperation of Punjab Textbooks Board.
“Punjab government has digitalised all science and mathematics textbooks from Grade 6 to 10, while CDs of the books have also been produced.”
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