 | Telenor wants to launch 3G service in Bangladesh
24 November, 2010
Telenor Group, mother organisation of Grameenphone, has sought government cooperation to launch 3G service in Bangladesh for increasing the internet penetration in the country, reports UNB.
Telenor Group president and chief executive officer (CEO) Jon Fedrik Baksaas made the appeal during a meeting with Finance Minister AMA Muhith at the latter's Secretariat office here Tuesday.
After the meeting, the Telenor CEO told reporters that his meeting with the Finance Minister was very pleasant and successful.
He said that presently, the people of Bangladesh are mainly using cell-phone for SMS and voice service. "But this cell-phone has many more facilities for the users."
In this connection, Baksaas said that launching the 3G service in the cell-phone would be a great opportunity for the users as this service offer huge facilities for the subscribers.
He mentioned that at present, only 20 per cent of the cell-phone subscribers use internet in Bangladesh.
Replying to a question about slow speed of internet in GrameenPhone, the Telenor boss said it is because Bangladesh now uses 2G technology. "When this technology will be upgraded to 3G the speed will increase a lot."
Finance Minister AMA Muhith said that the government has no objection to introducing the 3G technology. Rather, the government is very much interested to start the modern technology.
He said that the present tele-density in the country is 80 per cent and this number is very much encouraging towards the digitisation of the country, which was one of the pledges of the present government in their election manifesto.
Muhith said that the contribution of the cell-phone companies in the country is significant to achieve higher GDP growth.
At the end of this government's tenure, the GDP growth would be 8 per cent, he said, adding that he expects to see double digit GDP growth in his lifetime.
An FE report adds: The government should consider making telecom license renewal process smooth and other regulatory regime investor-friendly and stable to ensure future flow of investment in this sector.
Release link:http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/more.php?news_id=118186&date=2010-11-24
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