Mobilink Launches WiMAX in Pakistan

Mobilink, second WiMAX service provider of Pakistan, has finally hit the WiMAX surface by introducing its services in Karachi in its first phase of countrywide rollout plan.

Uzair Ahmed broke the story on TGP backed with two official documents that reveal Mobilink’s WiMAX services, pricing and few other details. Named as Mobilink Infinity, WiMAX services would be offered in Karachi only, as a soft launch, until they are successfully tested and taken to other regions of Pakistan as well.

Their official webpage is not displaying anything yet. Also the news is missing in main stream electronic and print media. But there are couple of evidenced on fellow blogs, that confirm the existence of Mobilink Infinity.

Let’s look into tariff details before going into further details…!

• Free Installation is for customers subscribing before September 30, 2008
• Unlimited Internet Access
• Free calls to All Mobilink Infinity and Mobilink GSM Users (for limited Time)

Well prices look stunning, they are far better than any other broadband service provider in Pakistan. Mobilink Infinity has broken the PKR 2,000 barrier for 1 Mbps link (unmetered) that was being offered by LinkDotNet, PTCL and other ISPs, and taken it down to just PKR 1,199; not only this, the package comes with VoIP privileges, and that too with Free calls from WiMax (Infinity) to WiMax (Infinity) and on any Mobilink GSM Subscribers (Defiantly a limited time offer), but this a treat.

But hold on, there is a bad news! With Mobilink Infinity you will have to pay almost PKR 16,000 for installation equipment (CPE) and security. However, for promotional period, this first time payment is lessened to PKR 8,000. Home users may not like to pay this huge amount. Other wise things seemed so well.

Considering the 1 Mpbs pricing, they could have taken 512 Kbps package down to PKR 500 to meet most in-expensive internet available in the world. But PKR 999 is not bad too!

Apart from pricing, services, response time, customer support, reliability and network uptime are other features that would come under consideration in the long run. We know that WiMAX is an evolving technology; hence, like any voice/data network, we should expect issues earlier on, but once streamlined, Mobilink Infinity is going to give tough time to not only Wateen but other broadband service providers too.

Wateen Telecom must be eying the situation very closely, and may revise their packages immediately. Currently they are offering capped packaged with limited download/upload capacity.

I see lot of potential in WiMAX market in Pakistan, specifically when we see than Wateen has acquired 25,000 customers in a short span of time, we will have to see in coming months, what Mobilink Infinity is going to do, which is apparently lot better than of Wateen in terms of monthly rental and coverage.

Mobilink will have to invest some money by subsidizing the WiMAX equipment (which is going to cost a user PKR 16,000), if they really want to get some good subscriber base.

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