Interviews

• Your Career

Carrier is pretty much (1994-2008)14 years long in field of

Telecommunication. I did enjoy my early days in Pakistan with Paktel,
than in Middle East with Etisalat and now in US with T-mobile. I have
worked on multiple stuff including Microwave links, Wireless Local Loop,

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Paging, Multiple Cellular systems like TDMA, PMATS, GSM and currently
UMTS. No one can claim that he knows everything but at least I can
say that I really got a chance to understand overall architecture of
cellular networks and I have some know how of most common and
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basic nodes of these networks.

• Your interest and activities

M

Most activities are obviously around telecom world i.e. most of the
time I try to update with technology and spending many hours in UMTS
nowadays, but during empty timeslots I am involved in some social
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activities as well. As sometime I fell that luckily I am living in Karachi or

Lahore of US (NJ), we have a lot of interaction with our desi folks here
e.g. going for Magrib/Isha pray on foot. One thing I would like to share
on as a ZUMBEELian that once you are out of your home, you always
generate sensitive feelings about your home, always want to do
something or at least want to discuss about it. So the same feeling
made me join a unique platform known as Positive Thinkers Club. It is
mostly shared by Pakistani people but other Muslims can also join it.
Here we are trying to do tiny acts for Pakistan. Link ;
http://s212903975.onlinehome.us/ptc/webpages/home.php?s=1&ref=
egcvruqsoxdwfy . You will find many interesting realities about
Pakistanis around the world. It is not NGO, religious or fund raising kind
of thing but some sincere peoples are sharing their thinking and
knowledge with each other.

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• Why telecom as a career?

As I did my engineering in electronics, and Telecom was just

introduced in Pakistan in 1990, so it was really a new field, although I
was working as CAD Engineer during my initial years (1.5 years) but I
used to go with my friends in Instaphone; sometime for BTS installation
or for O/M purpose. It was just for learning purpose to satisfy myself. But
it also helped me in acquiring a job in Paktel. Simple lesson; if you really
want to be in certain field, just hang around it and you will get chance
some how inshallah.

• Share your early telecom experience in 1990s.

Early experience is not as impressive as we had done lot of physical

work. I still remember Khyban-e-Shabaz in DHA Karachi, just before

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joining, one site was in progress there and one of my colleagues forced
me to give my joining as early as possible so I can participate in
installation. Actually there were only 7-8 sites in the city and we had
fewer opportunities to learn about integration of BTS. We used to spend
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14-20 hours daily on sites. But it was a valuable training for future.

• Why did u go to USA?

M

I had intention for Masters Program (as every engineer got during
under graduate days) but never thought to go US for job. It is all
happened automatically (Rizq always pull you at right place). I
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personally felt that US is a place where everyone can adjust easily,

that’s why I am here.

• What were the shocks and pleasant surprises in USA?

Before coming here my perception was I will be interacting with very

professionals and technical peoples. But it is beyond that people are
highly professional and much more organized and in terms of technical
skills I have found great people from all around the world. Shocking
surprise was my Manager John. M (I left Etisalat because of him) & I
found him in same company PowerTel where I joined as Ericsson
Support Engineer. (Thanks God! I was in different dept☺)

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• What happened after 9/11? Did u feel any difference in your

professional life?

Nothing serious for those people who were legally residing here,
except for some extra security on airports. Before I used to board at last
the moment in domestic flights and now more hours are required to
get on board. Overall US peoples are calm and quite; they never
show expressions and emotions like us.

• Industry took the downturn in 2001; how do you remember that

time?

I was lucky Alhamdulah at that time, I remember many of my friends

lost their jobs or had to work for 15-20$/hour, while I was fit in a slot
where not only I managed to switch my career from Radio Engineer to

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RAN & Core support Engineer but I also learned how to secure a job
during difficult times. So never be hopeless even in tough conditions.
You can be the only survivor when all on board passengers are getting
ready to sink along with the ship.
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• How we are doing as a community in USA?

Overall it is good, as we don’t have many choices here, Islamic

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Centers and Mosques are real social gathering points. Peoples ready
to help each other. So it’s a good environment, enough activities for
everyone especially in New York & New Jersey Areas.
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• What do you think we should do to improve our image and bring

prosperity to Pakistan while living outside Pakistan?

Don’t say NO before starting any sentence. I personally feel that if

individual’s link with some Positive activities, no matter it is religious or
social(instead of non stop discussion about Pakistan), than at least we
can contribute something and satisfied our self. High level of sincerity
is required to spend time for others. Just think others as family member
that’s it.

• Things you miss about Pakistan

I am out of my native place since more than 13 years. I forgot many

things there but sometime I miss some things e.g. family, street’s friends
and college activities of Dawood College where we used to do lot of
hard work.

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• Things you really enjoy in USA

In USA and especially in NY/NJ there are many things to do if you have
a good job and extra money. Nice thing about US is that we have big
community so you can seek activities of our own interest. Personally I
feel much relax here when we gather on Sunday for playing cricket or
go with family friends for outdoor activities.

• How do you see the rise of telecom in Pakistan?

Cell phone is a life supporting tool and has become a basic need now
days. Telecom in Pakistan apparently look’s like having bright future,
but we know things are linked with each other. Until and unless our
other areas and industry will not accelerate, it is difficult to say that
telecom is really going up. Why I will use my cell phone if my business

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is going worse day by day b/c of countless issues? Resale of used
phones, 3 SIM /person cannot satisfy investors in reality, as it is not real
KPI for growth. 90% subscribers in Pakistan are volatile (pre-paid). PTA
has to play big role after giving telecom infrastructure in private sector.
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There should be a balance among customers and investors. PTA should
observe other countries polices e.g. how FCC work etc. overall there is
a big space for telecom industry in future.
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• Your comments on fast career switching for our young telecom

professionals.
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Patience is always required in any field. Switching is good if you are in

right direction. If you get some opportunity, stay there for a while
till you know all pros and cons of it .Than you can decide easily by
yourself. Telecom is pretty big area; you can get real feedback from
different resources especially from those guys who got more
experience then you. 2nd choice is internet, forums etc.

• What is the biggest challenge in the telecom world?

The challenges and priority are always varying for everyone. Being a
telecom person, I feel that still ITU not able to standardize or lined up
technology, so everyone can move together with same clock, in mid
90’s we were hearing that UMTS is one global platform for everyone.
But it is failed; we have multiple 3G standards across the world
especially in US. I hope Telecom world will be sync in 4G era.

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• Your suggestion for our fresh grads

Job and Career Jobs are different most of the time. I know in Pakistan
we have limited choices. Some engineers are getting career jobs but
not everyone. There is always some U-turn there, if you have right
knowledge and want to make career in a specific field, just keep
searching.

• If you will ever move to Pakistan what would be top three reasons?

Family is most important reason and family doesn’t mean only my

immediate members, all Pakistanis are like a family , you offer some
sweets to any officer and he is your best friend ☺ .It’s my wish to
contribute by choosing teaching profession in telecom industry in
Pakistan inshallah whenever I will get chance.

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• Your future plans

God knows better, but would like to stay in Pakistan whenever it is

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possible.

• Your views about ZUMBEEL

M

It is a sole platform for telecom followers & professionals of Pakistan in

the world; I wish there should be similar kind of platforms for IT,
Mechanical, Civil and other fields of engineering. So they can
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contribute their efforts and share fruitful knowledge for the betterment
of Pakistan. Initially the platform should be restricted or limited only jobs
hunting and knowledge sharing; once it has a solid base then it could
be expanded for some real time action. As I said before small actions
make big differences. For example arrangement of economical crash
courses or classes for non engineers, could contribute in making public
libraries or whatever great ideas ZUMBEELians can launch.

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