Siemens Opens up Mobile Technology Market in Bangladesh

The state-owned mobile operator BTTB in Bangladesh has signed a contract with Siemens mobile, to set up a mobile network in the key districts of Bangladesh, including Dhaka, the countrys capital. During the next 12 months, Siemens will deliver GSM and GPRS technology to the country worth around 41 million US dollars. Siemens mobile is thus opening up another country for its mobile technology and at the same time laying the foundation for its continued growth in this market. As full equipment provider, Siemens mobile will initially deliver and install base stations, switching systems, microwave technology and GPRS components to Bangladesh. The majority of the future mobile subscribers live in Dhaka and its surrounding areas. BTTBs mobile network will already go into operation in this area later this year. The GSM and GPRS technology allows mobile telephony, the sending of text and image messages and, due to the high data transmission rate, provides a basis for future multimedia services such as interactive games, the sending of images and access to the internet. The current market penetration for mobile communication in Bangladesh is below two percent. The market is currently spread over four operators, with BTTB now becoming the fifth.