Bangladesh enters 3G era

[IamBengali]

 

[IamBengali]

Grameenphone launches 3G services

Bangladesh’s largest mobile-phone operator Grameenphone has started 3G services for the mobile users in capital’s Basundhara and Baridhara localities.

After launching the service on Tuesday, its Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Allan Bonke said they would provide the best network in competitive price as is expected of them.

“From today we are launching three packages based on the customers’ demand, ability and the devices they are using.”

He was hopeful that 3G services could be made available in the rest of the country by March next year.

The service users residing in the localities could avail Grameenphone’s 3G package. These packages have been priced based on two speed limits.

The price of 2 GB package with a speed limit of 512 kbps will be Tk 400 (VAT applicable).

For the smart phone users, there is a ‘smart plan’ for Tk 800 with unlimited data (fair usage policy applicable after 1.5 GB usage), voice call, SMS and MMS.

For heavy internet users, there is an unlimited monthly package for (fair usage policy applicable after 8 GB) Tk 900 (VAT applicable).

A 2 GB package with a speed limit of 1 MB has been priced at Tk 700 (VAT applicable).

A ‘smart plan’ for Tk 1,100 is available for smart phone users. The feature of this plan is unlimited data (fair usage policy after 1.5 GB), voice call, SMS and MMS.

Apart from that for the heavy internet users there is unlimited monthly package (fair usage policy after 8 GB) available at Tk 1,250 (VAT applicable).

A video call to a Grameenphone 3G enabled number will cost Tk 1.20 (10 second pulse). In future the video calls could be made to numbers provided by other service providers.


http://bdnews24.com/business/2013/10/08/grameenphone-launches-3g-services

 

[SHAMK9]

WTF! Bangladesh already has 3G and the title says it enters 3G era. We will enter 3.5 G next month.

I am surprised to know that Pakistan doesn't have 3G yet. They have Wimax much before BD but not having 3G yet.

3G is stuck in court since 2006, Nawaz recently said that 3G and 4G will be brought out later this year together. Bidding and everything else is done.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/613245/3g-4g-lte-up-for-grabs-committee-decides-to-offer-neutral-bands/

 

[Saiful Islam]

Even if 3G has been out for a year in Bangladesh you will only ever see a sizeable population in the capital using and no where else and maybe CTG.

 

[IamBengali]

3G is stuck in court since 2006, Nawaz recently said that 3G and 4G will be brought out later this year together. Bidding and everything else is done.
3G, 4G, LTE up for grabs: Committee decides to offer neutral bands – The Express Tribune

BD mobile operators are also given 3G and LTE licence together but the operators may not bring LTE so early. Country's WiMax operators will bring LTE by this year end.


WiMAX operators to go for new
service by year end

Published : Wednesday, 09 October 2013
FE Report

WiMAX operators are planning to
soft launch of TD-LTE (Time-
Division Long-Term Evolution)
service by year end after
receiving regulatory approval
recently.
As a result of the new technology,
the customers of the operators
will be able to enjoy better
internet experience at affordable
cost, according to industry
insiders.
Already, the existing operators--
Banglalion Communications and
Augere Wireless Broadband (Qubee)-
have started groundwork and are
upgrading their network for the
upcoming service.
"We are planning to soft launch for
LTE (Long Term Evolution) service by
the end of the year," said Banglalion
head of Market Communications GM
Faruk Khan. He told the FE that his
company will announce its rollout plan
after Eid-ul-Azha.
Azhar H Chowdhury, another official
of the operator said, "Customers will be
able to enjoy four to five times more
speed via the new technology. Even
the data transfer will be easier due to
less latency time required in the new
technology."
Apart from the two operators, some
new operators may launch their
operation in the country with the LTE
service following the recent change of
the Broadband Wireless Access (BWA)
guidelines by Bangladesh
Telecommunication Regulatory
Commission (BTRC).
It is learnt that the Bangladesh
Internet Exchange Limited (BIEL)
under the brand name 'Ollo' would be
awarded BWA licence. At present the
operator is providing broadband
internet service under ISP (internet
service provider) licence.
Chief Executive Officer of Qubee Faisal
Hyder told the media that they will
start trial run of LTE services this
year after upgrading its network.
Qubee users will have to change their
modems to get LTE services, which will
be faster than WiMax, he added.
Sources said the regulator wants to
create technological neutrality for the
WiMAX operators as they had done for
mobile phone operators for any new
service under the 3G guidelines.

 

[IamBengali]

Pakistan can learn something
from Bangladeshs 3G auction


Just a few days back Bangladesh auctioned mobile spectrum for third-generation (3G) network technology. No, this piece will not go into lamenting about Pakistan falling behind its regional peers, even
war-torn countries like Afghanistan,
on this count. Instead, this event in
the east offers some food for thought
to local telecom authorities, who haven
yet made it to the party, but are
supposedly on their way.
Unlike India, Bangladesh seems to
have resisted the urge to squeeze the
lemon dry at the auction stage, for
which they are inviting praise. Out of
the 40MHz spectrum put on sale,
reportedly, 25MHz was sold for $525
million to 4 existing mobile network
operators (MNOs). In simple terms, the
auction yielded a sales price of $21
million per MHz, a meagre increase
over a base price of $20 million per
MHz of spectrum.
High upfront costs can tie down
industry growth. India may have
scored $15 billion from its 3G auction
back in May 2010, but its post-3G
industry growth has remained stifled.
Analysts maintain that Indian MNOs
overpaid for the spectrum, which hurt
their investments in 3G rollout.
Perhaps thats why the CEO of Bharti
Airtel - a multinational telecom giant
headquartered in New Delhi, which
also acquired a 5MHz block in
Bangladesh auction - publicly stated
two days ago that "India can follow
Bangladesh model on spectrum
pricing."
Over at home, Pakistans government
has already budgeted $1.2 billion from
the oft-delayed 3G auction in FY14,
which means that per MHz base price
could be as high as $40 million per
MHz if spectrum on sales remains at
30MHz. It must be noted that in
Pakistans last such telecom auctions
(2G spectrum; between 2004 and 2005,
MNOs paid a price of about $21.4
million per MHz.
This see-saw between government
fixation on auction price and operator
focus on roll-out investment is
familiar. Back in 2012, when it seemed
that 3G auction was about to take
place, a high-ranking telecom
professional told BR Research that
"Any pricing should make sure that
objectives are met for all the parties.
Investor has to get the return on
investment; government has to earn
revenue; and customer has to be able
to get the benefit from technology. All
three things have to converge at a
particular price point."
Former CEO of the Universal Service
Fund, Parvez Iftikhar - who also
advised the previous government on
3G auction - told BR Research that
there was zero competition in
Bangladesh auction out of five
operators; one could not raise enough
money to participate. In Pakistans
case, where at least 5 bidders will
fight for 3 blocks, "it will result in
more competition, higher price and no
unsold spectrum."
Bangladesh will further allocate
10MHz to its state-run operator and
the rest will be kept for future
industry needs. Parvez feels that this
spectrum remained unsold because the
market probably considered base price
a bit high. "Therefore, our
governments focus should be on faster
and wider coverage, not on short-term
gain of high price. I hope our roll-out
obligations will be aggressive."
Pakistans telecom policymakers have
previously favoured new, international
operators to bid for 3G spectrum, to
drive up competition. But Bangladesh
failed to attract new operator.
"One reason is that the existing MNOs
have such great advantage that a
newcomer would find it very difficult.
Second reason could be that since 3G
has been around for a long time now,
big players have collected a lot of 3G
licenses in several parts of the world.
So their appetite for going into a new
developing country is rather low.
Therefore, I do not expect a new player
in Pakistan either," he noted.
Clearly, Bangladeshs experience
manifests operators changing value
proposition towards 3G. Pakistans
policymakers would do well to learn
from what transpired there last week.

http://www.brecorder.com/br-researc...-from-bangladeshs-3g-auction/?date=2013-09-12

 

[PlanetSoldier]

3G is stuck in court since 2006, Nawaz recently said that 3G and 4G will be brought out later this year together. Bidding and everything else is done.
3G, 4G, LTE up for grabs: Committee decides to offer neutral bands – The Express Tribune

I heard that Skype, Viber are closed in Sindh for controlling terrorism....why is 3G stuck in court, similar reason? The decision of shutting down communication tools like Skype reminds me the dumb decision of rejecting submarine cable by BD govt. back in 90s . South Asian politicians are dumbest in the world...if terrors want to communicate via Skype, Viber, they'll do that...govt. can't stop them but civilian guys who are dependent on these will suffer.

 

[ebr77]

whats 3:5 G i heard 3G and 4G ,do we have something called 3.5G.

GP =3.9G
robi: 3.5
lets see what others bring and their pricing.....
definitely waiting for 3G coverage in our area. shame GP started with Bashundhara-Baridhara-Gulshan area.

 

[IamBengali]

The title of the thread should be changed. Bangladesh passes one year of 3G already.

Teletalk passes one year of 3G
Muhammad Zahidul Islam
Business

The operator attracts over 550,000 broadband subscribers with its coverage of 18 districts

The state-owned mobile phone operator Teletalk attracted over 1,500 3G customers daily on an average over last one year since it launched the high-speed broadband service on October 14, 2012.

Although the problem was with the network frequency, the 3G customers of the operator have enjoyed making video calls, watching mobile TV, downloading at fastest speed, streaming and video conferencing.

Teletalk officials said they had to work hard throughout the year to establish market base for the third generation mobile broadband service in the country.

“That was a tough time for us to create market for 3G.

It (market) is ready now,” Md Mujibur Rahman, managing director of Teletalk, told the Dhaka Tribune.

He said the operator has now more than 550,000 3G customers across the country and all of them are active subscribers.

The Teletalk MD added the operator is now providing 4,000-5,000 connections every day, most of which are 3G.

By the end of this September, the operator’s total subscribers stood at more than 2.4m and the number is expected to exceed 5m by June next year.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasin formally inaugurated Teletalk’s 3G service one year ago on a test commercial basis, making the state-run operator first in launching the service in Bangladesh.

After the launch, the service covered only some parts of the capital Dhaka.

Later, all divisional cities were brought under the network in a few months. Teletalk’s 3G currently reaches as many as 18 districts of the country.

“We are gradually moving to cover the whole country with our mobile broadband network,” articulated Mujibur Rahman.

Teletalk’s total BTS number has already crossed 3,000 with 10-15 being set up every day now, improving the operator’s network coverage significantly.

Since Teletalk’s 3G service is still in the test commercial run, it has not taken 3G licence yet.

According to the guideline, the operator will require to pay Tk100m as 3G licence fee and Tk160bn for 10 Megahertz spectrum. This spectrum price was set as the auction held in early September.

“The operator will pay the licence fee before the deadline of October 23 (this month). But it won’t be able to deposit the spectrum fee within the stipulated time, which we already informed the government,” said Teletalk boss.

“The government and the regulator (BTRC) will decide on the issue. If we are allowed, we can make the payment in instalments. Otherwise, the government will have to pay the fee.”

Mujibur said Teletalk’s upgraded service is increasing revenue income and profit earning. In the fiscal year 2012-2013, Teletalk’s operating profit rose to Tk1.17bn from Tk650m in the previous year, showed the operator’s data.

Its total revenue stood at Tk6.62bn in the fiscal 2012-13 from Tk3.57bn in 2011-2012 and Tk2.26bn in 2010-2011.

The revenue is expected to exceed Tk10bn by the current fiscal year, said Mujibur Rahman.

Last updated on October 14, 2013 at 10:45

See more at: Teletalk passes one year of 3G | Dhaka Tribune

 

[srabon]

Bangladesh actually enters in 3.9 G era . ( Actually entered almost 1 year ago)
and Banglalion/Qubee gets 4G LTE .
Bangladesh is a small country .... developments should be faster than bigger countries .
But hopelessly Political crisis made us stuck sometimes ... But we bengalis at least not going backward .
I am seeing a bright future for bangladesh .