By Aamir Shafaat Khan, Dawn.com

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KARACHI, May 20: The number of broadband users in Pakistan has increased to over 688,000 (residential and commercial) as compared to 643,892 in December 2009.

In July 2009, there were only 434,131 broadband users. 

Around 800,000 people are likely to become broadband technology users by December 2010 and it is projected to go up to 1,077,000 in December 2011 and 1,213,000 in December 2012. 

In the last one-and-a-half years, the share of DSL technology remained high at 59 per cent showing a growth of 100 per cent while the share of WiMax was 27 per cent but the growth was 540 per cent. The share of HFC technology was five per cent followed by FTTH at 0.66 per cent, EVDO at eight per cent etc. 

PTCL is providing DSL and EVDO internet services, while Wateen, Wi-tribe and Mobilink Infinity offer Wimax technology. World Call is offering HFC and EVDO technology. 

Pakistan is now ranked sixth in terms of quarterly growth and 10th in terms of annual broad band penetration growth globally. Total number of internet connections in Pakistan is over 4.0 million. 

A new broadband service provider namely Qubee has entered here besides three others existing broadband service providers with WiMAX networks along with other service providers that use DSL, FTTX, HFC and EVDO networks. 

Mubashir Naqvi, Chief Executive Officer, Sharp Communication Limited (a wholly owned subsidiary of Augere Pakistan (Private) Limited), said in the last one year Qubee has invested approximately $70 million in Pakistan for network footprint in Karachi, whereas its future plans include expansion in Lahore, Islamabad and Rawalpindi in the current year and other cities. The company has a subscriber base of 16,000 people. 

As many as 120 people are directly employed in Karachi, which is set to grow to 250 people by the end of 2010. In addition, 350 people are indirectly employed, he said adding the current deployment in Karachi does not only target affluent areas but people of other areas are also using broad band service. 

Qubee is the brainchild of a multinational telecom group called Augere Holdings which is registered in The Netherlands. Augere was established in September 2007.

As of 2009, the world had 466.95 million broadband users. South and East Asia had the market share of 25pc, Western Europe 24.4pc, North America 20 per cent, Middle East and Africa three per cent and Asia Pacific 14 per cent. 

In 2009, global broadband technology share of DSL was 64 per cent, cable 21 per cent, FTTX 13 per cent, wireless one per cent, satellite and others one per cent.