Editing Telecommunications in Pakistan (section)

==Mobile telecommunications==
{{Further |List of telecommunication companies in Pakistan|}}
[[Instaphone]] and [[Paktel]] were the pioneers in mobile communication in Pakistan during the 1990s. They were joined by [[Mobilink]] in 1998 which was owned by Motorola until its sale to ORASCOM.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.aiou.edu.pk/gmj/EXPOSURE_TO_MOBILE_PACKAGE_ADVERTISEMENTS.asp |title=Global Media Journal |access-date=8 March 2014 |archive-date=17 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130517114018/http://www.aiou.edu.pk/gmj/EXPOSURE_TO_MOBILE_PACKAGE_ADVERTISEMENTS.asp |url-status=dead }}</ref> The trio offered AMPS services before switching to GSM in the early 2000s. [[Ufone]] joined the mix in 2001. The sector was highly regulated which led to high call rates and poor service quality.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www-wds.worldbank.org/servlet/WDSContentServer/IW3P/IB/1995/10/18/000009265_3961019095355/Rendered/PDF/multi0page.pdf| title = Paktel services offered}}</ref>
A new addition in Pakistan telecommunication, the [https://netinfo.pk/onic-sim-numbers/ Onic SIM] made its debut in Pakistan on the auspicious date of August 14, 2023, during [[Independence Day (Pakistan)|Pakistan Independence Day]]. Onic SIM number serials start from 0339.

In January 2004 the Ministry of Information Technology issued its ''Mobile Cellular Policy'' with objectives to:<ref>[http://www.pta.gov.pk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=381&Itemid=348 ''Mobile Cellular Policy''], Ministry of Information Technology, 28 January 2004</ref>
# Promote efficient use of radio spectrum;
# Increase choice for customers of cellular mobile services at competitive and affordable prices;
# Encourage private investment in the cellular mobile sector;
# Recognize the rights and obligations of mobile cellular operators;
# Provide for fair competition among mobile and fixed line operators; and
# Provide an effective and well defined regulatory regime that is consistent with international best practices.
The deregulation bore fruit as international companies [[Telenor]] (Norway) and [[Warid Pakistan]] set up operations in the country in 2005.

=== Subscriber base ===
The mobile telecommunications sector is seeing very large year-to-year growth in Pakistan. Approximately 90 percent of Pakistanis live within areas that have cell phone coverage and more than half of all Pakistanis have access to a cell phone.<ref name=CIA-WFB-Pakistan>[https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/pakistan/ "Pakistan Country Report"], ''The World Factbook'', Central Intelligence Agency, United States, 14 June 2011</ref> With 194 million mobile subscribers in June 2022, Pakistan has the highest mobile penetration rate in the South Asian region. 3G/4G subscribers stood at 115 million in June 2022.

According to the [[Pakistan Telecommunication Authority]] (PTA), [[Jazz (mobile network operator)|Jazz]] leads the market with 75.00 million subscribers, followed by [[Telenor Pakistan|Telenor]] with 49.19 million, [[Zong 4G|Zong]] with 44.80 million and [[Ufone]] with 23.47 million. All telecom companies are working to broaden their networks in the [[Azad Kashmir|Azad Jammu and Kashmir]] and Northern Areas, which were largely ignored until recently. Five of the seven Agencies of the [[Federally Administered Tribal Areas|tribal areas]] have mobile coverage.<ref>{{Cite web |date=3 August 2022 |title=Telecom Indicators |url=https://www.pta.gov.pk/index.php/en/telecom-indicators/1 |access-date=3 August 2022 |website=Pakistan Telecommunication Authority}}</ref>

===SMS===
Pakistanis collectively sent over 151 billion text messages during the year 2009. [[Nokia]] has cited Pakistan to be producing the third-highest SMS traffic in the world in 2010.<ref>[http://tribune.com.pk/story/290329/tech-society-generation-text/ "Tech Society: Generation Text"], Yasmin Malik, ''The Express Tribune'', 15 November 2011</ref>