Mobile phone imports reach 433276 mln dollars in Paki

ISLAMABAD: ‘Mobile phone imports in the country have reached ‘433.276 million dollars in current financial year (July-January), registering 10.39 percent increase as compared to same period last year.The imports of mobile phone were 392.493 million dollars in same period last year statistics of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) showed on Sunday.The data said overall telecom imports saw a decline of 5.5percent during July January 2015 16 as compared to same period last year.The total telecom imports were recorded at 800.127million dollars during the period as compared to 846.713 million dollars previous year.Other telecom apparatus import also witnessed a significant decline of 19.23 percent during this period as it stood at US 366.851 million during July January (2015 16) against ‘454.220 million dollars during same period of last year.Meanwhile telecom experts said in next two years smart phones are expected to cross 55 per cent of mobile phone imports.Smartphones adoption in Pakistan is expected to grow due to expanding 3G and 4G networks (currently 3G services are available in more than 200 cities and towns.Moreover, according to Grappetite Research 77 per cent of smartphone users are between ages of 21 30 years which is the most adaptive segment for use of smartphones.Cellular mobile operators have also collaborated with smartphone manufacturers to promote smartphone usage in Pakistan and companies have also started developing mobile apps and mobile websites keeping in view the fast adoption of smartphones in Pakistan which will increase the smartphone usage in future.With the rapid expansion of mobile broadband networks and adoption of smartphones in the society the telecom import burden has gradually increased over the last five years.In the Fiscal Year 2014 15 Pakistan imported US 1.2 billion worth of telecom equipment in which a record import of US 629.9million was on account of cellular mobile handsets imports.According to International Data Corporation (IDC) Pakistan remained one of the fastest growing markets for smartphones shipments in 2015” 123 per cent growth was registered in smartphone shipments to Pakistan between Q 1 2014 and Q 1 2015.Currently almost 31 per cent of cellular mobile handsets imported in Pakistan are smartphones which were only about 7 per cent in 2012.