Teletalk to expand its network across country
Tuesday, 7 October 2008
FHM Humayan Kabir
Teletalk Bangladesh Limited, the state-owned mobile operator, has taken a major step to expand its network across the country aiming to double its subscribers' base and provide better services, officials said Monday.
The cell phone company has already signed Tk 2.50 billion deals with the European company Nokia Siemens Network and Chinese Huawai for upgrading its GSM network throughout the country.
"We've completed separate deals with the Nokia Siemens Network and Huawei for improving the network. The companies will upgrade the network in a bid to double the number of customers by next one and a half years," said general manger (Information Technology) of Teletalk Fakhruddin Ahmed Chowdhury.
European company Nokia Siemens Network and the Chinese company Huawei will supply and install necessary equipment for expansion of network, he told the FE Monday.
Managing Director of Teletalk Bangladesh Ltd Mujibur Rahman said the project will improve the services of the sate-owned cell phone company and attract more customers in future.
Teletalk, the country's sixth largest mobile phone operator, has had poor services resulting in very slow growth to the country's fast growing cell phone market.
It has only around 1.0 million customers.
GrameenPhone, the biggest private cell phone operator, has more than 20.8 million out of the country's total 45.4 million customers.
Egypt-based Banglalink, the second largest operator, has 10.17 million customers, followed by Malaysia-based AKTEL'S 8.14 million, UAE-based Warid's 3.60 million and Singapore-Bangladesh joint venture company CityCell's 1.65 million.
"After the improvement of the network Teletalk's subscribers' base will expand to 3.0 million. It will be able to add some 1.8 million new customers across the country," Mr. Fakhruddin Ahmed Chowdhury said.
The mobile phone company will set up 600 base transceiver stations (BTS), and mobile switching centres, SMS centres, and will improve the core network and transmission links across the country.
Under the Tk 2.50 billion deal, Nokia Siemens Network and Huawei will supply equipment for installing the BTS and core network expansion works, the Teletalk general manager said.
He said that the European Nokia Siemens Network will install the BTS and accomplish other related works in the Dhaka and Sylhet region while the Chinese Huawei will work in the Chittagong, Rajshahi and Bogra regions for expanding the GSM network of Teletalk.
Teletalk Bangladesh Limited, the state-owned mobile operator, has taken a major step to expand its network across the country aiming to double its subscribers' base and provide better services, officials said Monday.
The cell phone company has already signed Tk 2.50 billion deals with the European company Nokia Siemens Network and Chinese Huawai for upgrading its GSM network throughout the country.
"We've completed separate deals with the Nokia Siemens Network and Huawei for improving the network. The companies will upgrade the network in a bid to double the number of customers by next one and a half years," said general manger (Information Technology) of Teletalk Fakhruddin Ahmed Chowdhury.
European company Nokia Siemens Network and the Chinese company Huawei will supply and install necessary equipment for expansion of network, he told the FE Monday.
Managing Director of Teletalk Bangladesh Ltd Mujibur Rahman said the project will improve the services of the sate-owned cell phone company and attract more customers in future.
Teletalk, the country's sixth largest mobile phone operator, has had poor services resulting in very slow growth to the country's fast growing cell phone market.
It has only around 1.0 million customers.
GrameenPhone, the biggest private cell phone operator, has more than 20.8 million out of the country's total 45.4 million customers.
Egypt-based Banglalink, the second largest operator, has 10.17 million customers, followed by Malaysia-based AKTEL'S 8.14 million, UAE-based Warid's 3.60 million and Singapore-Bangladesh joint venture company CityCell's 1.65 million.
"After the improvement of the network Teletalk's subscribers' base will expand to 3.0 million. It will be able to add some 1.8 million new customers across the country," Mr. Fakhruddin Ahmed Chowdhury said.
The mobile phone company will set up 600 base transceiver stations (BTS), and mobile switching centres, SMS centres, and will improve the core network and transmission links across the country.
Under the Tk 2.50 billion deal, Nokia Siemens Network and Huawei will supply equipment for installing the BTS and core network expansion works, the Teletalk general manager said.
He said that the European Nokia Siemens Network will install the BTS and accomplish other related works in the Dhaka and Sylhet region while the Chinese Huawei will work in the Chittagong, Rajshahi and Bogra regions for expanding the GSM network of Teletalk.