Grameenphone, a joint venture of Norway’s Telenor and Bangladesh-based Grameen Telecom Corp., is keen in participating in the bidding for the new major player in the Philippine telecommunications industry controlled by the duopoly of Globe Telecom Inc. and PLDT Inc.
“Hopefully we will participate,” Shanshil Ahmed Shibly, deputy director regional operations and head of technology division of Grameenphone, said.
When asked for a local partner, Shibly said, “that is a discussion that is going on.” “I think it’s [the Philippines] a good market. We are already doing very good business in Malaysia, Thailand, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Myanmar also, where we are close to No. 1. This market also has very good potential and the size [with young customers],” he said.
Grameenpone is the largest mobile phone operator in Bangladesh with over 58 million subscribers and 54-percent subscriber market share. The company is 55.8-percent owned by Telenor, while Grameen Telecom, the other main shareholder, holds 34.2 percent as of December 2017.
Gamaliel Cordoba, commissioner of the National Telecommunications Commission, earlier said the bid documents could be purchased for P1 million each from the agency starting Oct. 6 this year. The submission and opening of the bids is set on Nov. 5 this year.