Pakistan is on the brink of a technological revolution.
Pakistan to have 3D television sets soon

A Korean multinational company is set to introduce three dimensional (3D) technology in television sets in Pakistan for the first time. Pakistan is on the brink of a technological revolution, which although late compared to the rest of the world, promises not only latest technology for consumers, but also would help to bring in significant investments into the country.At a press conference on Saturday, the General Manager of Samsung Pakistan, Steve Han announced that 3D television sets are soon to hit the local electronics markets.He said that consumers in Pakistan would now be able to watch programmes in 3D format in ‘real time’. This means that apart from entertainment sources like 3D movies, Pakistanis would also be able to watch live programmes, like a cricket match, in 3D format.The company has also organised an exhibition of their products at the PAF Museum from 3-4 July, where visitors can have first-hand experience of Samsung’s revolutionary 3D TVs which showed glimpses of famous 3D movies.The 3D TV display became the centre of attraction at the exhibition as consumers have eagerly waited for the technology to enrich their entertainment and leisure activities. Consumers were seen curiously exploring the features and technology of 3D TVs at this show,” Han said.Samsung is the first company to offer a complete 3D product line-up including TVs, Blu-ray player and home theatre,” he added.Recently, another multinational company, Nokia, announced the introduction of 3G technology in the country. While both 3D and 3G are not new to the rest of the world, their late introduction in Pakistan has been welcomed by the consumers, who were deprived of the two until now.

In fact as per a broadband survey conducted by Nokia Siemens Networks in 2009, the desire to use mobile and data applications in Pakistan – surfing the web and application downloading – reaches up to 55 per cent of the population.When asked whether 3G would affect general consumers and would they need to buy new and expensive handsets, Waraich said most of the handsets were 3G-enabled and the consumers did not need to purchase new sets.With Pakistan’s telecommunications industry witnessing a strong growth, the need for a richer communications services is increasing the demand for 3G and 4G. New services now and in the future require higher speed at an affordable cost.A research of the trend among Pakistani consumers by multinationals reflected that the consumers are technologically aware and also have the basic know-how, which shows the high potential the new products would have, once they enter the market.Furthermore, Pakistan has one of the lowest national saving rates in the world, experts in the field said. National savings, as a percentage of the GDP, declined from 20.8 per cent in 2003 to 14.3 per cent in 2009, statistics showed.This has helped set the stage for further investments into the country, as competing firms are sure to follow with their own versions of technology.To a question, a Samsung executive said that the Korean company is set to invest further in Pakistan several million dollars, both in terms of commercial investments and corporate social responsibility. He said that Pakistan is yet an untapped market, which has significant potential, and the low savings rate of the country means that people are eager to spend money on products which cater to their needs.In future, our global research will bring more attractive and exciting products for the Pakistani consumers, including the best-in-class 3D experiences,” he concluded.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 4th, 2010.