The country reached its first million mobile subscriptions in 2002 and achieved the 10 million mark in 2005. Within a span of four years from then, 50 million subscriptions were reached in 2009. Although, GSM is a second generation (2G) technology mainly focusing on voice, it has helped increase the internet literacy of the country, enabling more than six million people to access the internet, which makes up for more than 80% of all internet users in Bangladesh.
Not only has the growth of this industry helped develop a vital infrastructure of the country, but also played an important part in reshaping the social behavior. Today, a phone is not only a tool for basic conversation, but also a requirement for business, a calculator, a messenger or even a FM radio!
In a span of 12 years, telecom operators got more than 50 million subscribers and seven million Internet users. However the official tele-penetration of Bangladesh still remains around 30 percent whereas some others countries of the region have reached nearly 100 percent.
Coming back to the government's initiative on 'Digital Bangladesh': The government's election manifesto in 2008 said that the: “Telecommunication facilities will be extended up to rural villages. All upazilas (sub districts) will be brought under internet communication system in the next five years (2013)”.
So what is 'Digital Bangladesh? Well, we see it as a vision of the government on fuelling a socio-economic growth, building on the Millennium Development Goals set by the United Nations focusing on ICT, health, education and energy sectors.
And another phase of Digital Bangladesh represents the goals set by the government to be achieved by 2021. Poverty eradication, enhancing quality of life, as well as increase employment in manufacturing, services and agricultural sector are in focus of this phase.
Now, how does telecommunication help achieve these goals? According to the educationist Dr. Hafiz G.A. Siddiqi: “Digital Bangladesh is not only e-governance or e-commerce or e-banking, or operating a country-wide mobile phone network through which one can access the daily newspapers or other internet devices. In fact, it is a combination of all of them. It is a country-wide application of 3G ICT to institutionalize the best management practices in every sector and sub-sector.”
Dr Siddiqi's words are further enhanced by studies made by McKinsey & Company stating: “A 10 percent increase in broadband household penetration boosts GDP between 0.1 and 1.4 percent” and “that broadband could have significant impact on overall societal welfare as it helps boost human capital, improve healthcare and create new opportunities in the poorest and most remote parts of the world”.
As we know, broadband can be achieved in various technologies. However, as Bangladesh is lacking a well built-out fixed network, wireless technology would be the most efficient manner to grow broadband.
The main challenges for success of the Mobile broadband implementation in Bangladesh are related to proper frequency planning, policies on Mobile broadband license and renewal of 2G license, and of course the high start up cost for the end subscriber due to the SIM Tax and the Tax on handsets.
Ericsson has been the first to conduct a live 3G/HSPA trial in Bangladesh in cooperation with BTRC in 2008. It included demonstrating very interesting applications such as Mobile-health, where a doctor from Dhaka could monitor a patient in a remote village, Mobile-education, where a teacher in Dhaka could give on-line session to students in a remote location, Mobile entertainment, where we could show live TV programs and video calls, as well as Mobile-surveillance, which could enhance security facilities through out the country.
These are some of the Mobile Broadband applications that we have demonstrated but in reality 3G/HSPA and the next generation technology would provide a lot more benefits to Bangladesh. It would give a competitive edge to the government and could make Bangladesh more attractive to the outside world of investors as a preferred investment destination and eventually achieve the dream of 'Digital Bangladesh'.
'Digital Bangladesh' is very much possible to achieve with already the technologies available today, with right regulatory conditions. Introduction of Mobile Broadband will help achieve the government's target, perhaps even ahead of time.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Håkan Rusch
Quelle/Source: The Daily Star, 23.04.2010
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