On July 26, 2022, Grameenphone successfully finished the 5G trial in Dhaka and Chattogram, marking the first step toward achieving the ‘Smart Bangladesh’ vision. With this achievement, Grameenphone – the nation’s leading provider of tech services and digital connectivity is on its way to introducing 5G to customers in eight divisional cities beginning on September 22 as part of its commitment to enabling societies through technology and bringing the vision of Smart Bangladesh to life.
At GPHouse and in each divisional city, a ceremony was held to officially launch the 5G trial. At Grameenphone’s Innovation Lab, invited guests and media stakeholders had the chance to experience 5G. There, they were exposed to cutting-edge technologies and a variety of use cases, including robotic arms, augmented reality video, virtual reality gaming, augmented reality selfies, cloud gaming, and others.
BTRC Chairman Shyam Sunder Sikder was present at the event as the Chief Guest, while Engr. Md. Mohiuddin Ahmed, Commissioner, E&O, BTRC; Abu Syed Diljar Hossain, Commissioner, L&L, BTRC; Brig. General Mohammad Moniruzzaman Jewel, PSC, Director General, SM, BTRC; Brig. General Nasim Parvez, NDC, AFWC, PSC, Director General, SS; Ashish Kumar Kundu, Director General, L&L, BTRC; Grameenphone CEO Yasir Azman; CMO Sajjad Hasib; CDSO Solaiman Alam; CTO Jai Prakash; CCAO Hans Martin Hoegh Henrichsen and other high officials from Grameenphone, Wipro, Huawei, and ZTE graced the ceremony with their presence.
Earlier, on July 26, 2022, Grameenphone carried out the nation’s first 5G trial run with a few use cases in Dhaka and Chattogram. The country’s leading provider of tech services will soon roll out 5G in eight divisional cities so that people can experience 5G connectivity and discover new worlds.
BTRC Chairman Shyam Sunder Sikder said, “The number of internet users, as well as smartphone penetration, is increasing daily, reflecting that the country is going through a huge digital transformation. There are some challenges in ensuring the quality of service and we are working together to resolve them. But it does not necessarily stop us from welcoming new technology. We need to democratize technology if we want to reap the benefits of digitalization at a global pace. To accelerate this and tap into the potential of the 4IR, we need advanced technology like 5G, which will help us explore new possibilities. I thank Grameenphone for taking this initiative to trial 5G nationwide, enabling people to experience new forms of communication and the industries to thrive.”
“Empowering societies and creating opportunities for all through democratizing the power of technology is at the core of Grameenphone. With the imminent 4IR, we believe it is our responsibility to accelerate the ongoing digitalization and harness the opportunities by pioneering the revolution to enable the nation to achieve its vision of becoming a ‘Smart Bangladesh’. Being the first to spearhead the eras of connectivity from 2G, 3G, 4G to now 5G we envision being the connectivity partner to transform Bangladesh with high-speed connectivity and advanced industrial solutions,” said Yasir Azman, CEO, of Grameenphone in his keynote.
He added, “Being a part of the Telenor fraternity, Grameenphone has the technical know-how and global use cases which we can be tailored for our local market. I would request all of us to collaborate to address the existing challenges and formulate an industry-friendly policy framework that will help in the mass adoption of the 5G network. We are thankful to the government, regulator, and all the ecosystem partners for supporting and trusting us in our journey. The time is now to make people, society, and the country future-ready riding on the power of 5G technology.”
Starting from September 29, 5G will gradually be made available in different locations, including Gulshan GPC, BTRC Serving IEB (Dhaka), BUET building, Mirabazar (Sylhet), Kolatoli (Cox’s Bazar), Khulna, Mymensingh Grameenphone regional office, Rajshahi Alupatti Mor, Rangpur New Market (City Corp, Payra Chattar), Chittagong Pahartoly and Cumilla Grameenphone regional office so that mass people can experience the power of 5G network.
