Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Mobile towers’ radiation poses threat hazards
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
GP sacking: Steps to be taken as per law if rules violated: Shahara
The government will take appropriate action against GrameenPhone authorities if
it finds violation of rules while sacking its 200 officials and employees, Posts
and Telecommunications Minister Shahara Khatun told Parliament on Monday.
Robi Axiata Limited, one of the leading private mobile phone operators, has
launched free life-insurance coverage, for the first time in the country, for
its prepaid subscribers.Robi Managing Director and CEO Michael Kuehner, Pragati Life Insurance Managing Director and CEO Md Abul Basher Akhond, and Chief Executive Officer of Swedish insurance company Milvik, Gustaf Agartsson launched the insurance service at a hotel in Dhaka Monday.
On the occasion, Michael Kuehner said, “This package is another unique service for mobile sector. Undoubtedly, life insurance service of Robi is a historic innovation.”
Under this life insurance coverage, each of the registered Robi prepaid subscribers, aged between 18-60 years, will get insurance premium for a minimum Tk 250 talk-time every month.
With more usage, more insurance coverage will be earned. The coverage limit will be renewed every month and may reach Tk 50,000.
Teletalk goes public soon
The state-owned mobile phone operator Teletalk plans to raise Tk 6.0 billion(Tk 600 crore) from the capital market to increase its services and expand customer-base. "Preliminary work on raising capital through the capital market has already been completed," Telecommunications Minister Shahara Khatun told Parliament Monday. Share of the Teletalk will be offloaded within the shortest possible time after the SEC approval, she added.Sunday, September 16, 2012
সাবসিডিয়ারি কোম্পানি করতে চায় রবি ॥ বিটিআরসি’র ‘না’
দেশের তৃতীয় গ্রাহক সেরা মোবাইল ফোন অপারেটর রবি নিজেদের জন্যে একটি সাবসিডিয়ারি কোম্পানি করার জন্যে নিয়ন্ত্রক সংস্থা-বিটিআরসি’র কাছে আবেদন করেছে। কিন্তু এমন কোম্পানি করার অনুমোদন দেবে না বিটিআরসি। এতে আইনের ব্যত্যয় হতে পারে বলে মনে করে নিয়ন্ত্রক সংস্থা।
জানা গেছে, রবি তাদের নিজেদের জন্যে এবং অন্য সব টেলিযোযোগ কোম্পানির ব্যবহারের জন্যে এমন একটি কোম্পানি করতে চায় যারা দেশের বিভিন্ন এলাকায় পোল-টাওয়ার তৈরী করবে। পরে সেটি ভাড়াও দেবে। গত ১৮ মে এ সংক্রান্ত একটি আবেদন তারা বিটিআরসিতে পাঠায়। কিন্তু কয়েক দফা কমিশন বৈঠক করে এ বিষয়ে সম্মতি দেওয়ার যৌক্তিকতা দেখছে না বলে বিটিআরসি সিদ্ধান্ত নিয়েছে।তবে রবি বলছে, গ্রামীণফোন তাদের কোম্পানি ভেঙে জিপি আইটি নামে অপর একটি কোম্পানি করেছে। গ্রামীণফোনকে সুযোগ দেওয়া হলেও রবি কেনো একই সুযোগ পাবে না। এর উত্তরে বিটিআরসি বলছে, গ্রামীণফোন প্রথমে তাদের নিজেদের কোম্পানির ভেতরে তাদেরই ব্যবহারের জন্যে আলাদা একটি ডিপার্টমেন্ট করেছিল। পরে সেখান থেকে বেরিয়ে গিয়ে স্বতন্ত্র কোম্পানি করেছে। এতে বিটিআরসি’র বাঁধা দেওয়ার কোনো কারণ নেই। একই সঙ্গে বিটিআরসি বলছে, এমন কোম্পানি করলে যে কেউ সেটা কারতে পারে।
এ বিষয়ে রবি’র সিনিয়র ভাইস প্রেসিডিমেন্ট মাহমুদুর রহমান বলেন, তারা এমন একটি আবেদন করেছিলেন যা সকলেরই কাজে লাগতে পারত। তবে এখনো এ বিষয়ে বিটিআরসি’র কোনো উত্তর এখনো পাননি বলেও জানান তিনি।
Source:http://tech.priyo.com/
Cellphone carrier Citycell wants transform itself as a GSM operator early 2013.
Mehboob Chowdhury, the company's chief executive officer (CEO), said it will take almost six months to switch over from CDM to GSM technology, pending key approval from the telecom regulator.
The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) said it would not give its stamp of approval for the technology change unless it pays the 2g licence renewal charges.
Citycell, majority controlled by Singapore's SingTel, has the lowest market share in the country with just 1.699 million users. Bangladesh's six mobile operators had a user base of 93 million till June 2012.
The operator's market share has seen a path of decline over the years as it has lost out to its rivals, despite offering lowest call rate. Its marketing of unchangeable handsets and SIM cards has made it unattractive to customers, forcing them to switch over to GSM operators.
But Mr Chowdhury would not say whether the adoption of new technology would help regain its lost glory as the country's oldest wireless carrier.
Mr Chowdhury said Saturday his company is planning to invest in erecting more Base Transceiver Station (BTS). People familiar with the situation said it would need to pump Tk 16 billion for the new technology.
Officials at the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) said the commission has already taken a decision to allow the operator to move to the GSM technology.
BTRC chairman Zia Ahmed said Citycell's approval would depend on the deposits of its second installment for 2G licence renewal, the payment of which must be made by August 31.
At present, all operators except Citycell are giving mobile phone service by using GSM technology.
CDMA (code division multiple access) is a US technology that does not let the subscribers choose handsets, while the European technology GSM (global system for mobile communications) provides clients flexibility.
The Citycell boss said that his customers will have open both option, for choosing RIM or SIM card.
At present, Citycell has 860 BTS, although other mobile phone companies have more than 3,000 stations.
The oldest operator of the country has 10 MHz spectrum in the 800 MHz CDMA band, while other GSM based operators are using spectrum of 900 and 1800 band.
Citycell is the first mobile operator in Bangladesh and launched operations with the name of Bangladesh Telecom Ltd. It got licence in July 1989.
Citycell is currently owned by Singtel of Singapore with a 45 per cent stake, local Pacific Group with 45 per cent, and Far East Telecom, a Hong Kong-based Japanese company, controls the rest 10 per cent.
Source: http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/more.php?news_id=140124&img=1&date=2012-08-13
Saturday, September 15, 2012
There would be no selling of pre-activated SIM (subscriber identification module) card for cell phone from October 12 as the telecom regulator has decided to ban selling of pre-activated SIM.The mobile-phone operators will activate the SIM only after verifying the identification of its users.
Zia Ahmed said, “The commission has determined to stop selling of unregistered SIM cards to reduce criminal activities and illegal VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) business.”
BTRC and other law enforcing agencies found out that some people both individually and in groups are commencing various types of criminal activities, including operation illegal VoIP business by using mostly unauthorized SIMs.
BTRC already sent letters to the mobile phone operators to inform its decision and advice them to take proper action to follow the directive.
In another directive, it asked the operators to withdraw their pre-activated prepaid SIM cards from market within the stipulated time.
The verification process will be automated after the database of election commission is updated and activated.
BTRC recently traced out as much as 15,254 unauthorized SIM cards of six mobile-phone operators had been used mostly for illegal VoIP operations for which it fined the operators US$762,700 for these SIM cards at a rate of US$50 each.
Source:http://www.banglanews24.com/English/detailsnews.php?nssl=36719c41e4f639ac3b96a7d02e72a337&nttl=2012091652413&toppos=2
New telecom minister in bangladesh-Shahara Khatun
 In a major reshuffle in the cabinet, the Prime Minister has replaced the Home Minister and given the task of maintaining law and order to Mahiuddin Khan Alamgir, a former bureaucrat and one of the ruling party's policymakers.In the face of severe criticism from the media, she also replaced the Information Minister and given the charge to JSD President Hasanul Haq Inu, who never served in any cabinet. However, Hasina relied on elderly Abul Maal Abdul Muhith to run the finance despite scathing criticism from a section of media over different issues. Offices of several serving ministers were also changed in the latest reshuffle, Cabinet Secretary Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told bdnews24.com Saturday. The Prime Minster has apparently removed the ministers from their responsibilities who came under fire from various quarters on different issues. The Awami League-led coalition government that came to office with an agenda to build a 'Digital Bangladesh' entrusted former diplomat Mostafa Faruque Mohammed with the charge of the Information and Communication Technology Ministry. New face Mazibul Hoque, a trusted Treasury Bench MP, has been given the charge of the Railways Ministry which came under spotlight due to the cash scandal involving one of the personal aides of then Railways Minister Suranjit Sengupta and later due to 'hyper-activities' of acting minister Obaidul Quader. Another former diplomat A H Mahmud Ali has been given the task to handle the newly formed Disaster Management and Relief Ministry. His expertise and experience would be tested of 'utilising' government allocations for the social safety net. The two new state ministers – Abdul Hyee got Fisheries and Livestock and Omor Faruk Chowdhury Industries. Narsinghdi-5 lawmaker Rajiuddin Ahmed Raju has been removed from the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications and placed in the Ministry of Labour and Employment. The family of murdered Narsinghdi municipal mayor Lokman Hossain has been alleging that Raju was an 'instigator' of the killing. Former Home Minister Shahara Khatun had been under fire from within the ruling party and outside for the law and order situation and her remarks to the media. Journalists have been staging various programmes against her as the law enforcers are yet to crack the mystery of journalist couple Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi's murder despite her 48-hour deadline to nab the killers. Abul Kalam Azad has lost the Information Ministry to JSD chief Hasanul Haq Inu and will now be in charge of Culture only. Losing Labour and Employment Ministry Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, the father-in-law of PM's daughter, has retained only Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry. On Thursday, six leaders of the ruling Awami League and one from coalition partner JSD took oath as ministers and state ministers, taking the number of Hasina-led cabinet members to 50. This was the fourth cabinet shake-up since the Awami League-led coalition swept the 2008 national polls. Senior ruling party politicians Suranjit Sengupta and Obaidul Quader were included in the cabinet in November last year. Sengupta stepped down barely four months later as his personal aide was caught in a cash scandal. He was later made a minister without portfolio. Tofail Ahmed, the Industries Minister in Hasina's 1996-2001 cabinet, came under fire from within the party like Suranjit for their 'role as reformists' during the military-backed emergency administration. Both Tofail and Bangladesh Workers Party Chief Rashed Khan Menon had turned down the offer to join the cabinet in the recent reshuffle. The refusals stirred up the country's politics. Opposition and a section of media have termed the refusal as 'failure of the government', but Suranjit has said it hint at a 'new equation'. Newly appointed Home Minister Mahiuddin Khan Alamgir had worked as a state minister at the Planning Ministry as a technocrat during Sheikh Hasina's 1996-2001 term. The former bureaucrat was also imprisoned during the past caretaker government. Comilla-11 lawmaker Mazibul Hoque, who has got the Railways Ministry, had been working as a Parliament Whip. Commerce Minister Ghulam Muhammed Quader of the Jatiya Party and Industries Minister Dilip Barua of the Samyabadi Dal, two alliance partners, got place in the cabinet when it was formed in January 2009. Syed Abul Hossain had taken oath as a minister and Tanjim Ahmed (Sohel Taj) as a state minister when the cabinet was formed. But both eventually stepped down from their posts. Source: http://www.bdnews24.com/details.php?cid=3&id=232368&hb=1 |
Friday, September 14, 2012
Introduction of 3G technology and Expansion of Teletalk Network
Mobile telecom industry in Bangladesh
Mobile phone has become an indispensable part of Bangladesh's everyday-life and has made a "safe haven" in one of our pockets much like our wallet that we never want to leave at home while we head for our work! Thanks to the telecom-revolution and its relentless evolution that together have made it possible even in developing countries like Bangladesh. This is the dominant device that we now express ourselves through, get our work done and share our pains and pleasures with.
In this paper we have analyzed this mobile telecom industry on the basis of its customer, competitors, industry perspectives, environmental analysis, marketing perspectives and finally have made some
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