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.

Source: http://www.hawker.com.bd/news_details.php?news_id=237474

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.

Cellphone carrier Citycell is set to transform itself as a GSM operator early 2013 after two-decades of American technology failed to reverse the struggling firm's fortune, a top official has said.

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

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