Mahmudul Hasan

State-run mobile network operator Teletalk has yet again failed to pay fees to the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) for the spectrum it acquired in the latest auction. 

About three crore people of Bangladesh, aged 18 or above, don’t own a mobile phone and 6.5 crore don’t use internet, according to the new population census, highlighting the non-affordability of connecting devices and elusive digital inclusion for many. 

Mobile network providers Robi Axiata and Banglalink gained clients in June while Grameenphone, the industry’s top operator, saw a slight drop in its customer base.

Information technology (IT) exports from Bangladesh are snowballing as global clients have swamped local IT companies with orders for various software, data processing and other digital service solutions.

HungryNaki, Alibaba’s food delivery affiliate in Bangladesh, has scaled down operations by half and laid off a majority of its employees. 

Over a year has passed since government agencies cracked down on several e-commerce platforms for not providing refunds or delivering products of thousands of customers after luring them with hefty discounts. 

People are not getting the maximum benefit from the 761 services the government have digitalised for slow servers and poor internet speed, according to a government evaluation.

The telecom regulator has recently directed International Internet Gateway (IIG) service providers to disconnect bandwidth connections of 286 internet service providers (ISP) for not converting their licences in accordance with guidelines. 

It is not any other Eid for many middle and lower-middle income families. They are cutting down expenses for the festival in the face of spiralling living costs.

A large number of households now receive warnings via SMS before a disaster, found a survey.

Local technology company Reve Chat is now facilitating access to information for citizens of Mexico while protecting their personal data with its AI-enabled chatbot, underscoring the Bangladesh tech industry’s growing clout in the global markets.

Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company Ltd (BSCCL), the state-run bandwidth importer, is going to spend $3.2 million to upgrade the capacity of its first undersea cable by more than four times. 

People can no longer operate e-commerce businesses in the country without having a digital business identification (DBID) number, which can be availed even without a trade license given that the entity has an official website or social media page, according to new guidelines in this regard.

Despite its push for financial inclusion, Bangladesh has remained one of the top seven countries with a sizeable part of the population unbanked, according to a Work Bank survey. 

Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission yesterday banned Grameenphone from selling new SIM cards for what it said was the operator’s failure to provide quality service.

People in Bangladesh are yet to make a habit of buying cattle online for Eid-ul-Azha as trips to the market, where they can choose and haggle over their preferred animal, are a part of the festivities.

Internet users in Dhaka are set to get faster bandwidth thanks to Padma Bridge as the Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited (BTCL) has laid fibre-optic cables on its lower deck to reduce the time taken for data to travel between the capital and submarine cable landing station in Kuakata.

The Covid-19 pandemic came as a devastating blow for Khawja Waseem, who owns a medium-sized enterprise called SS Jute Shoe Thread and Accessories that produces and retails jute goods in Gazipur.

Padma Bridge will not only increase connectivity in Bangladesh, but also revolutionise the industrial landscape in southern parts of the country by creating new business avenue of opportunities, according to various entrepreneurs.

While the construction of the Padma Bridge with the country’s own fund has buoyed the nation’s confidence, the longest bridge in Bangladesh has also given an opportunity to local industries to demonstrate their prowess to both local and global audiences that they can make quality materials.