Pakistan's mobile phones import go up

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN: Pakistan, where the mobile telecommunications sector is seeing very large year-to-year growth, has witnessed an increase in mobile phone imports.

The import of mobile phones saw a 13.79 per cent increase during August as compared to July, reported Dawn.

Official statistics show that the value of the imports went up to $56.04 million during August from $49.25 million in July.

Also, the mobile phones import shot up by 50.58 per cent during July-August over the like period last year. Pakistan imported sets worth $105 during the period against last year's $69.93 million.

Approximately 90 per cent of Pakistanis live within areas that have cell phone coverage and more than half of all Pakistanis have access to a cell phone. With 108 million mobile subscribers - out of a total 180 million-plus population - in April 2011, Pakistan has the highest mobile penetration rate in the South Asian region.