Jazz to launch service in security-related mobile network shutdown areas

By Kalbe Ali

Jazz announces plans to launch a facility in the country, allowing its financial services to operate even when the mobile networks face shutdowns for security reasons.

The facility will allow JazzCash to continue to operate in an area where the mobile networks remain suspended by the authorities for security reasons.

In cooperation with GSMA, the Dutch company VEON, the parent company of Jazz Pakistan, has developed the facility for the mobile networks’ “Always on Network” service.

The new innovative service will be launched globally by the VEON partners.

Under the service, the financial transactions of Jazz Cash, including account-to-account transfers, purchases through the QR code, etc., will remain operational even during the mobile network suspension.

Meanwhile, in a tweet message, Aamir Ibrahim, CEO of Jazz, said that the service is likely to be introduced in the country in a few months after approval from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).

In a statement, VEON said that the Always-on Network Service would enable digital financial services to continue even when mobile voice and messaging services have been suspended due to security concerns.

CEO VEON Statement

For hundreds of millions of people around the world, mobile financial applications such as JazzCash are essential for accessing their money, “Kaan Terzioğlu, CEO, VEON, said.

In the year 2020, there were 155 security-related mobile network shutdowns in 29 countries.

The Always-on Network was an industry-wide initiative, developed in collaboration with the GSMA, to deliver always-on accessibility for business-critical applications and emergency services in data-restricted geographical areas.

VEON has said that it has achieved the Always-On Network Service through the 4G ‘network-slicing’ technology that enables the breaking of any certain digital service by pushing customized policies at the service gateway of the network.

How to Check Jazz balance: A complete Guide

Meanwhile, a senior executive of Jazz said that the success of network slicing technology would help derive more specific applications for consumers in the year 2022.

Currently, JazzCash is the largest mobile-based financial service in the country with over 15 million customers, but it is likely that the other mobile wallets too will adopt the Always-on Network Service after its launch because of the copyright restrictions on IT-based services have a short duration.