Teletalk to launch 4G service in May

Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Mostafa Jabbar has said Teletalk is likely to launch fourth generation (4G) mobile service in May.

"The state run mobile company - Teletalk has a plan to launch 4G service at all divisional cities across the country with its own finance of nearly Tk 200 crore (two billion Taka) in May 2018," said the minister while responding to a query placed by treasury bench lawmaker Didarul Alam of Chittagong-4 at the Jatiya Sangsad (parliament) on Wednesday, reports BSS.

To increase the number of subscribers of the Teletalk, he said the government is implementing two projects for increasing network coverage of the state run mobile phone company.

The project, titled "Modernisation and Expansion (MEP) of Teletalk's 2G/3G Network up to Rural Areas", is expected to be completed by June in 2018, he said.

Other project namely 3G (phase-2) will be completed by December 2018, he said, adding once completed, the people will get uninterrupted 3G network coverage at upazila level throughout the country.

At present, the number of 3G subscribers in the country is nearly 60.419 million (6,04,19,000).

Replying to a separate question by treasury bench member M Shamsul Haque Tuku, the posts, telecommunications and IT minister said the government has a plan to bring 30 million rural people having no banking facility under 'Daak Taka' service by March this year.

"The 'Daak Taka' service has been launched to ensure balance transaction among common people having no banking facility," the minister told the House in replying to the query from Pabna-1 MP Shamsul Haque Tuku on Wednesday.

He said the government has kept a provision in the service for a 'Daak Taka' account free of charge, adding, "It has also provision that only Taka two is deposited then the account would be active."

The minister informed the House that account holders will be able to operate the account by any mobile operator.

He said the government has already launched post-e centre service to 8,501 post offices across the country under a project 'Post-E Centre for Rural Community'.

"Some 1,861 post office including rural post offices have been constructed and repaired under ICT Base Rural Post Office Construction project," Jabbar added.