Altamash Kamal

Dr. Altamash Kamal is a pioneer in the information technology sector in Pakistancite news |title=There’s a bank in my pocket |url=http://www.dawn.com/weekly/science/archive/070728/science1.htm |work=Dawn (newspaper) |date=2007-07-28 |accessdate=2008-04-22 ] and a leading entrepreneur. [cite news |title=Investors' dreams fade away |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4447125.stm |work=BBC |date=2005-04-21 |accessdate=2008-04-22 ] He is the founder and CEO of Xiber.com, the first Internet company in PakistanDubious|date=April 2008. Xiber.com created the website for Dawn as well as DesiStore.com, the first and largest Pakistani internet store. Xiber.com is generally regarded as one the companies that were at the forefront of Internet revolution in Pakistan in 1995-96.

Prior to creating XIBER.com, Kamal started up, expanded and later successfully sold Wavetech, Pakistan's first commercial microwave technology provider. Dr. Kamal has also served on the Board of Directors of Pakistan Telecom [cite web |url=http://www.paksearch.com/Annual/Annual00/TELE00.htm |title=Annual Report 2000 |accessdate=2008-04-22 |work=PakSearch.com |publisher=Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited ] and was a member of the National Tax Administration Reform Task-force. He edited the Internet magazine "Spider". [cite news |title=Beyond the ‘surge’ in Iraq |url=http://www.dawn.com/2007/01/15/op.htm |work=Dawn (newspaper) |date=2007-01-15 |accessdate=2008-04-22 ]

Dr. Kamal, is a gifted photographer. His pictures are often borrowed by BBC as pictures of the week.Fact|date=April 2008

Dr. Kamal received his Ph.D. degree in Nuclear Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Role in telecom policy reform

Dr. Kamal has been a fierce advocate for reform in Pakistan's Telecom Policy. In 1995, as head of the Data Network Operators Association (DNOPS), he was instrumental in persuading the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority to allow private businesses to establish international data links, a decision which led to the rapid expansion of Internet use in Pakistan. [cite news |title=An Interview with Nasser Khan Ghazi |url=http://www.chowk.com/articles/4433 |work=Chowk |date=1998-12-21 |accessdate=2008-04-22 ] His work during his tenure on the board of the Pakistan Telecommunications Corporation Ltd. resulted in the Pakistan Government implementing a progressive technology adoption strategy, combined with successive tariff reductions. Today, the fruit of this policy is beginning to be realised and Dr. Kamal's push for change has resulted in Pakistan having the most competitive regional telecom infrastructure.

References

External links

* [http://www.flickr.com/photos/altamash/ Pictures taken by Dr. Kamal]