wi-tribe Pakistan launches commercial WiMAX

Qatari news source The Peninsular is reporting that wi-tribe Pakistan, part of the wi-tribe Group and a subsidiary of the Qatar Telecom (Qtel) Group, has begun commercial WiMAX services in Pakistan. Initially the service will be available in Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore and Rawalpindi. Commenting on the launch Sami Hinedi, CEO of wi-tribe Group said: ‘We strongly believe in improving the lifestyle of our customers by understanding their needs and offering them the best personalised customer experience. We want to provide solutions that are simple, easy and valued by individuals, businesses and the government.’

The launch comes after wi-tribe Pakistan announced that it had signed a multi-year WiMAX deal with vendor Motorola in October 2008. According to TeleGeography’s GlobalComms database, wi-tribe Pakistan is a joint venture between Qtel and Saudi Arabia’s A.A. Turki Group of Companies (ATCO); in May 2007 the two companies completed the purchase of a 75% stake in Islamabad-based Burraq Telecom, revealing plans to offer basic broadband and VoIP services after rebranding the operator under the wi-tribe moniker.