The Wireless Local loop service based on CDMA technology, which was primarily launched a year back in order to replace the wireline services, has been quite successful in expanding fixed line services. The number of subscribers surpassed one million mark in June 2006. The growth over the last 4 quarters has been phenomenal for fixed wireless system with subscriber base doubling every 06 months.

In a very short span of time CDMA based WLL services have achieved a very healthy growth in Pakistan despite some early startup issues. Some telecom analysts feel that if conditions were conducive the sector could have done even better.

It is expected that CDMA based WLL services shall see more growth in the next few years as one more operator is expected to launch service by the end of this year. Currently as many as 4 companies have started WLL services and are in the run in different regions of Pakistan, apart from SCO, which started its WLL operations to cater to AJK territories and Northern Areas.

CDMA based WLL Services are getting popular in Pakistan due to there relatively low deployment and maintenance costs which make it a competitive bypass solution and a viable alternative to wire line networks.

Most of the WLL service providers are also at various stages of testing CDMA EV-DO network that shall allow them to offer broadband wireless data services and shall enable them to offer added advantage to the consumers in Pakistan at par with other advance markets in the world.

Artem Orange, a foreign investor in Pakistan with license to operate in 5 telecom regions says “we are impressed with the consistent performance of CDMA technology in 450MHz frequency band. Apart from ubiquitous data access, reliability of connection and voice clarity are two major benefits we are delivering to the consumer. CDMA has established new quality benchmark for the wireless telephony services. Positive market response has convinced us to bring further foreign investment and expand operations into the new licensed regions, starting from Lahore. We look forward to increase our contribution to the second million of CDMA subscribers in Pakistan”.

In addition to the CDMA based WLL service a full Mobile CDMA service provider is also expected to enter the highly competitive mobile market. The entry of the full mobile CDMA operator is seen with an interest by industry analysts & experts. Javaid Feroz, a member of the Arfeen Group who recently took over the company Instaphone from Millicom and are establishing a full mobile CDMA network in the 800 Mhz band (They already are operating a 1900 Mhz CDMA WLL service) says “entry of full mobile CDMA operator is setting higher expectations and we shall be going for a non-tariff based competition with the existing mobile operators through the strength of the technology”.

It is estimated that in the next 4 years the total number of CDMA based subscribers (both WLL & Full Mobile) shall reach 09 million, an average addition of 1.5 Million subscribers per year.