What’s In a Name?

This blog had a posting disconnect between Nov 2006 and April 2007 owing to the wordpress.com blog ban in Pakistan.  The last story before the disconnect was about Paktel which, at that time, threatened to stop its operations because of the losses it was making. In January, China Mobile bought Paktel from Millicomm International who was desperately seeking an exit from Pakistan in-line with their international corporate strategy.

China Mobile has announced (on Saturday) that they are investing $400 million and a brand name change for Paktel.

According to China Knowledge, China Mobile  is to invest US$400 million to extend its network in Pakistan, said company CEO Wang Jianzhou at the Boao Forum on Hainan Island on Saturday.

Wang said the company will step up improving sales channels and building new brands in Pakistan next year, adding that a wireless data transmission system will be built in the Pakistan.

And Flair, the showbiz-looking-telecommunication magazine (Issue April 2007, Page 84) says the brand name change is from Paktel to CM-Pak.  How good or bad is this choice (if the Flair report is correct) is subjective.

The China Mobile has sought the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) consent to swap the Paktel mobile company name as CM-Pak, the name under which the company intends to operate.  The China Mobile that took over Paktel from Millicom International after paying dues has now formally requested the regulator for change of Paktel’s name.  Officials from PTA has confirmed that it was approached by the China Mobile with the application that it wanted to operate under the name of CM-Pak, but added no decision has been taken so far.

China Mobile has pumped in $700 million in the Pakistan telecommunication sector since taking over the management control of Paktel.  The company will invest $2 billion in the next three years (till 2009) to expand its network, an official of the Paktel told.

In other Paktel related news, the head office of the company in Islamabad is now inundated with Chinese nationals that have been brought in by the company to take more direct control of the things.

Paktel is also reported to have been talking to Multinet for access to dark fiber pairs on its Project Ittehad similar to the deal between Multinet and Telenor announced in December 2006.