In an era where digital interconnectedness reigns supreme, the demand for seamless connectivity extends far beyond conventional boundaries. Beyond typical mobile and telecommunication connections, contemporary network base stations are empowering users to not just make calls, but to embrace a digital lifestyle that caters to their daily needs in unprecedented ways, a press release says.
The significance of this connectivity is paramount for active participation in modern society, facilitating access to education, seizing economic opportunities, obtaining vital healthcare services, and staying informed.
In places like Bangladesh, telecom operators shoulder the responsibility to ensure widespread connectivity that transcends socio-economic backgrounds, bridging gaps for a more inclusive digital landscape for individuals from all walks of life. According to data by the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), 90 percent of Bangladesh's internet users rely on mobile connectivity, making the role of providing seamless connectivity indisputable, the press release adds.
Addressing the growing importance of mobile connectivity, Banglalink has spearheaded a nationwide network reinforcement, propelling Bangladesh into a new era of communication through its '4G for all' vision. In the last 18 months alone, the company has doubled its network footprint, activating over 4,700 sites, yielding an impressive 66% increase in data subscribers. This expansion ensures high-speed mobile internet across the nation, marking a significant shift from an era where only one in ten had access to nearly half the population enjoying the benefits of 4G connectivity. Within just 1.5 years, Banglalink has achieved a 30% network site activation benchmark, earning its status as a truly national operator with more than 16,000 towers.
Despite this transformative growth, Banglalink keeps its environmental footprint at the forefront of its mind during its nationwide network coverage expansion initiatives. Strategically, Banglalink emphasizes ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) frameworks, with a particular focus on reducing carbon emissions and promoting green energy production. Notably, over the past six years, Banglalink has successfully reduced 100,000 tonnes carbon emissions, highlighting its commitment to environmental responsibility.
Furthermore, through strategic collaborations and a commitment to promoting the sustainable use of heavy-duty infrastructure, the company has laid a resilient foundation by partnering with Teletalk to initiate Bangladesh's inaugural national roaming field trial. This collaboration will enable customers to access both operators' network coverage, facilitating seamless connectivity even in areas with coverage gaps. This initiative has opened new horizons for network expansion in the country, not only enhancing efficiency but also optimizing resources and fostering a sustainable and robust network.
Banglalink's commitment to fortify connectivity throughout Bangladesh signifies a transformative journey toward digital inclusivity. As part of a strategic move to refine network management, the company has successfully divested 2000 towers to Summit Communications, aiming to become more asset-light. This allows the company to focus on its core strengths, ensuring a better quality of services and meeting the escalating demands in entertainment, education, and healthcare. This realignment aligns with the company's vision to emerge as Bangladesh's premier digital operator, transforming enhanced connectivity into innovative digital solutions such as the country's largest digital entertainment platform, Toffee, and the pioneering telco super app, MyBL.
Keeping up with the global trends in digitization, Banglalink looks forward to replicating the global paradigm shift in the telecom industry towards collaboration through active sharing initiatives, wherein network operators collaborate on deploying and operating network elements.
This global practice has emerged as a key strategy to enhance efficiency and reduce costs, bringing manifold benefits in fostering more sustainable growth and optimizing resources. By jointly utilizing network infrastructure, operators not only enhance coverage and capacity but also pave the way for improved service quality and network reliability.
Also, active sharing could also be very important in reducing import of equipment by the mobile network operators. For instance, through active sharing the operators can import one equipment, share with each other and save millions of dollars for the country.
This collaborative approach accelerates network coverage and contributes to the overall resilience and competitiveness of the telecom ecosystem, ultimately delivering superior connectivity experiences for end-users. As the industry evolves, active sharing stands out as a strategic enabler for building robust and future-ready telecommunications networks.
Committed to collaboration, sustainable expansion, and in alignment with SMART Bangladesh's vision, Banglalink positions itself at the forefront of guiding the nation towards a more digitally empowered future.