[SHAFIQ KHAN]

Ten years back, Canada only had one overseas/Long Distance telephone company, Bell Canada. There were no paid phone cards as today and there were no other private overseas carriers in the field either. I remember, because of Bell Canada's monopoly, it was charging $3.67 per minute for Pakistan. But by the pace of time, as other fields of human life developed, this sector of overseas/Long Distance telephone service also marched forward..............so in next few years, not only several North American companies jumped into the business but the market was inundated by the pre-paid phone cards, not only for Pakistan but all over the world. Because of the highly competitive rates of the pre-paid phone cards, Bell Canada, Primus Canada and Sprint Canada had to cut down their high rates to 27 Cents to 75 Cents per minute for Pakistan plus tax. The Pakistanis are still not satisfied by those rates because pre-paid phone cards are cheaper than telephone companies and thus 95% of the people from all over the world use pre-paid phone cards to make calls to their original countries including, Pakistanis, which literally charges them 25 to 30 Cents per minute with no tax. Plus, the pre-paid cards have the convenience of calling from anywhere 24/7.

Looking to all these details and the development of the technology even the per minute telephone rates for Pakistan are still substantially on a higher side as compare to Pakistan's neighboring countries. For instance, India, which virtually has half an hour time difference and some 15 to17% higher value of it's Rupee against Dollar than Pakistani Rupee has a wide difference in rates of almost 30 to 50% from Canada.

There are three major Overseas/Long Distance Carriers in Canada besides some local ones and pre-paid phone card users.
Bell Canada charges 79 Cents per minute for Pakistan and for India 65 Cents. Primus Canada 27 Cents for Pakistan and for India 17 Cents and Sprint Canada charges 65 Cents for Pakistan and 53 Cents for India. You can see the wide difference between the two countries.

If you take pre-paid phone cards which are used by 95% of the people from Pakistan and India and work it out, Indians end up paying 13 to 17 Cents per minute while as, Pakistanis average 25 to 30 Cents per minute.

Besides this wide difference of rates, the Pakistani-Canadians also face an other huge problem and botheration while calling to Pakistan. You have to sit down considerably and try calling for Pakistani cities again and again for a longer time. Sometimes call does not go through. Sometimes, it is one-sided. Sometimes, it's breaking up. Sometimes, you have very hard time hearing the othe rside or the other side vice versa. Sometimes, the number drops again and again and sometimes, you did not even say hi but the system charged you 10-20 cents.

I can tell you by my experience that, I have been calling all over the world for last 10 years and in all those years, I never had the difficulty of connecting and talking in Pakistani cities, no matter Karachi or Bhai Pheru.

In all those years, I have contacted our local and Bell Canada authorities for both matters as above but, they always told me that, it is something wrong with Pakistani lines and phone system.

I would request the PTCL authorities and the Minister of communication to see both areas [a] the higher rate per minute from Canada to Pakistan and [b] the technical problem while making phone calls to Pakistani cities.

SHAFIQ KHAN
CANADA

[sarah_1]

Originally posted by SHAFIQ KHAN
[b]Ten years back, Canada only had one overseas/Long Distance telephone company, Bell Canada. There were no paid phone cards as today and there were no other private overseas carriers in the field either. I remember, because of Bell Canada's monopoly, it was charging $3.67 per minute for Pakistan. But by the pace of time, as other fields of human life developed, this sector of overseas/Long Distance telephone service also marched forward..............so in next few years, not only several North American companies jumped into the business but the market was inundated by the pre-paid phone cards, not only for Pakistan but all over the world. Because of the highly competitive rates of the pre-paid phone cards, Bell Canada, Primus Canada and Sprint Canada had to cut down their high rates to 27 Cents to 75 Cents per minute for Pakistan plus tax. The Pakistanis are still not satisfied by those rates because pre-paid phone cards are cheaper than telephone companies and thus 95% of the people from all over the world use pre-paid phone cards to make calls to their original countries including, Pakistanis, which literally charges them 25 to 30 Cents per minute with no tax. Plus, the pre-paid cards have the convenience of calling from anywhere 24/7.

Looking to all these details and the development of the technology even the per minute telephone rates for Pakistan are still substantially on a higher side as compare to Pakistan's neighboring countries. For instance, India, which virtually has half an hour time difference and some 15 to17% higher value of it's Rupee against Dollar than Pakistani Rupee has a wide difference in rates of almost 30 to 50% from Canada.

There are three major Overseas/Long Distance Carriers in Canada besides some local ones and pre-paid phone card users.
Bell Canada charges 79 Cents per minute for Pakistan and for India 65 Cents. Primus Canada 27 Cents for Pakistan and for India 17 Cents and Sprint Canada charges 65 Cents for Pakistan and 53 Cents for India. You can see the wide difference between the two countries.

If you take pre-paid phone cards which are used by 95% of the people from Pakistan and India and work it out, Indians end up paying 13 to 17 Cents per minute while as, Pakistanis average 25 to 30 Cents per minute.

Besides this wide difference of rates, the Pakistani-Canadians also face an other huge problem and botheration while calling to Pakistan. You have to sit down considerably and try calling for Pakistani cities again and again for a longer time. Sometimes call does not go through. Sometimes, it is one-sided. Sometimes, it's breaking up. Sometimes, you have very hard time hearing the othe rside or the other side vice versa. Sometimes, the number drops again and again and sometimes, you did not even say hi but the system charged you 10-20 cents.

I can tell you by my experience that, I have been calling all over the world for last 10 years and in all those years, I never had the difficulty of connecting and talking in Pakistani cities, no matter Karachi or Bhai Pheru.

In all those years, I have contacted our local and Bell Canada authorities for both matters as above but, they always told me that, it is something wrong with Pakistani lines and phone system.

I would request the PTCL authorities and the Minister of communication to see both areas [a] the higher rate per minute from Canada to Pakistan and the technical problem while making phone calls to Pakistani cities.

SHAFIQ KHAN
CANADA

O HU GOOD GOOD

[Princess_A]

very good