ISLAMABAD, Dec 17 (INP): Local mobile manufacturing in Pakistan, bolstered by Chinese mobile companies, is thriving and now meets 94% of the country’s demand. This growth is attributed to the government’s strategic regulatory initiatives aimed at sustaining sectoral expansion and innovation. Chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), Retired Maj. Gen. Hafeez Ur Rehman HI (M), presented PTA’s Annual Report 2024 to Senate Chairman Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, highlighting recent developments in the IT and telecom sectors. He emphasized the Authority’s commitment to foster technological advancements, implement online safety measures, safeguard consumer rights, and promote fair competition. According to the report, the telecom sector generated record revenue of Rs955 billion in FY 2023-24, a 17% increase over FY 2022-23, despite economic challenges. Cellular mobile services now reach 91% of the population, while 4G services cover 81%. Total telecom subscribers reached 196 million by September 2024, Gwadar Pro reported on Tuesday. The number of broadband subscribers rose to 142.3 million from 127.6 million in June 2023. Average mobile internet speeds improved by 28%, increasing from 15.65 Mbps to 20.02 Mbps. Data usage grew by 24.2%, reaching 25,141 terabytes in FY 2023-24, while broadband penetration increased to 58.4% compared to 53.6% in 2023. “During FY 2023-24, 29.6 million mobile devices were locally manufactured, meeting 94% of the country’s demand,” the report stated. The local manufacturing/assembling has also created 60,000 jobs for the locals. According to the PTA website, during the first 10 months of 2024, Pakistan locally manufactured or assembled 22.59 million mobile devices. Of these, 13.86 million were smartphones, while 8.73 million were Second Generation Mobile (2G) or GSM phones. In comparison, only 1.17 million mobile phones were commercially imported during this period. Chinese brands led the local manufacturing industry, with Infinix producing 2.79 million devices, followed by iTel with 2.75 million, VGO Tel with 2.43 million, Vivo with 2.13 million, TECNO with 2.03 million, Redmi with 1.89 million, Realme with 1.35 million, and G’Five with 1.09 million.
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