Grameenphone Ltd. has recently reached 10 million mobile subscribers. The achievement coincides with the 10th anniversary since the company received the operating license in November 1996.

The company started the year with 5.5 million subscribers, after having registered a growth of 130 percent in 2005.

“People's lifestyle is changing with the introduction of mobile phones in Bangladesh”, says Erik Aas, Managing Director of Grameenphone. “The mobile phones are not only a tool for privileged people anymore, but it is now empowering people from all groups in all areas of our country.”  

“Constantly declining tariffs, affordable prices of handsets and superior network coverage all over the country are the three main drivers for our success,” continues Erik Aas. Till date, Grameenphone has invested around Tk. 6000 crore in its network and services, covering more than 95% of the country's population. It invested Tk 2000 crore in 2005 and is expected to invest an equal amount this year.

The company has more than 5000 highly motivated employees, and estimates another 100,000 people to be directly dependant on its business by working for vendors, suppliers and retailers. Additionally, the internationally acclaimed Village Phone Program is providing good business opportunities for more than 260,000 Village Phone operators, mostly poor rural women, all around the country.

The telecommunication industry in Bangladesh is now estimated to represent around 1% of the country's GDP. The Grameenphone contribution to the Government Exchequer, including all taxes and VAT from the services, will be more than Tk. 2000 crore this year.

Bangladesh is presently one of the top 10 mobile phone growth markets in the Asia-Pacific region with about 16 million mobile phone subscribers. However, the telephone penetration rate still remains low at around 12%.

“It should be possible to triple the number of subscribers, reaching 50 million, within the next 3 years,” says Aas. “Reduced entry cost for new subscribers will be the main driver for this growth. This can be achieved with lower handset prices and reduced connection taxes”.

The service development has been significant over the last few years. Grameenphone subscribers can now enjoy all the modern data communication and content services. Mobile office, internet access, MMS and modern music and download services are available through the nationwide EDGE enabled network.

Grameenphone is further recognized for its expansive customer service network. More than 600 service desks have been established nationwide to serve the customers with a minimum of travel time.

The company is also involved in a number of unique community service initiatives. After having seen the success of the Village Phone Program, which provides Universal Access in rural areas to people who cannot afford to buy a regular subscription, Grameenphone has recently started an ambitious program to establish 500 Community Information Centers by the end of the current year. These centers provide shared high-speed Internet access and other information-based services in the rural areas through Grameenphone's nationwide EDGE network.

Another recent community service initiative is the HealthLine Service, a 24-hour Medical Call Center manned by Registered Physicians and accessible to all Grameenphone subscribers.

Meanwile, as a part of its celebration of achieving over 10 million valued subscribers, Grameenphone will soon start to offer recharge denominations as low as Tk. 10. GP Pre-Paid subscribers will be able to recharge their account through Flexiload in the new range from Tk.10-49. The Tk.10-29 denominations reload will have 1 day validity and Tk. 30-49 denominations will have 3 days validity. Subscribers reloading amounts of Tk. 50-99 through Flexiload will also get 2 extra days of validity, making it 5 days.

To thank its subscribers for being with Grameenphone, it will also give away attractive prizes to lucky winners spending Tk.300 and above, within the period 7-30 November 2006 in any GP subscription. There will be 100 subscribers, spending between Tk.300-500, who will win Cameras and EDGE enabled handsets; 10 subscribers spending between Tk.501-1000 will win Plasma TVs, 5 subscribers spending between Tk.1001-3000 will win Japanese cars and 1 lucky subscriber spending Tk.3001 and above will win an apartment in Dhaka.  

Grameenphone is jointly owned by Telenor of Norway (62%) and Grameen Telecom of Bangladesh (38%).

Erik Aas, Managing Director of Grameenphone, Rubaba Dowla Matin, Head of Marketing and Syed Yamin Bakht, General Manager, Information, were present on the press conference.
 

Information Department

Grameenphone Ltd.

Phone: 9882990