WorldCall

WorldCall

Type	Multimedia Service Provider
Industry	Telecommunication
Founded	1996
Headquarters	Pakistan
Key people	Salman Taseer
Website	www.worldcall.pk

WorldCALL is a telecommunication operator in Pakistan which provides services such as Cable TV, Broadband Internet, 3G EVDO Internet, pay-phone services, dial-up Internet cards and wireless telephone. It was established in 1996 by First Capital Securities Corporation .

History

In 1996, First Capital Securities Corporation began to incubate a payphone operation called Worldcall Payphones Limited. At that time, notable development was being done to improve the payphone infrastructure in the country. The first payphone was installed in June 1996. Now, Worldcall has over 70,000 payphones all over the country and the company has become one of the largest fixed line payphone operator and the pioneers of “Supervised Payphones” business model in Pakistan.

Prepaid Calling Cards

In 1998 prepaid calling cards were launched by Worldcall Phonecards under the brand name "Hello". In the following year the group established dial-up internet services through Worldcall Dot Com.

Overseas Operations

In 1999 Worldcall Telecom Lanka established the Groups' first overseas presence when payphone operations were established in Sri Lanka.

Cable and Internet Services

In 2000 Worldcall Multimedia established a Hybrid Fiber Coaxial (HFC) scalable network in Lahore thus becoming the first Multi-service operator in the country, providing cable television and Internet-over-cable. In cable TV in Lahore, Worldcall was the last entrant and by far the largest. In 2003 the company launched an HFC network operation in Karachi under Worldcall Broadband Limited (WBL). These were the largest and only national networks capable of triple play (cable TV, high speed internet/data and telephony) until the introduction of Wateen Telecom. The broadband division also offers metro fiber lease to a number of other telecom / cellular operators as well as corporates. Currently Worldcall is one of the few operators who are providing Digital Cable in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad.

Wireless Local Loop Services

Worldcall Telecom Limited acquired Wireless Local Loop (WLL) licenses/spectrum in the post deregulation auction to provide WLL telephony in all 14 telecom regions of Pakistan primarily in the 1900 MHz band. It has partnered with Samsung for a CDMA 2000 1x solution (with EVDO option). WTL started service from Lahore in June 2005 which is now available in over 40 cities. WTL also acquired an LDI license and service commenced at the end of 2004. WTL has increased competition due to rights to dark fibers in a national long haul network which is being built across Pakistan.

(source:wikipedia)