Page 93 - SAMENA Trends - July-August 2022

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

VEON’s Banglalink Signs Tower Sharing Agreement in Bangladesh

VEON Ltd., a global digital operator that opportunities to serve our customers better in the future.” “We are happy to enter
provides converged connectivity and and ensure proper utilization of resources into this partnership with Banglalink.
services, today announces that its subsidiary and infrastructures.” Erik Aas, Chief Since last year, we have been sharing our
Banglalink has reached an agreement Executive Officer, Banglalink said, “In the fibers with Banglalink, achieving positive
with Bangladesh Telecommunications last year, we have added more than 3300 results for us both.” Stated Dr. Md. Rafiqul
Company Limited (BTCL) for a tower 4G base stations to our network; many of Matin, Managing Director, BTCL. “As a
sharing initiative. Kaan Terzioglu, CEO these are based on shared infrastructure. country, we have reached an impasse
of VEON Group: “VEON’s future centers We will continue to expand the network, and where infrastructure sharing can be an
around an asset-light business model our partnership with BTCL will give a fresh effective way to tackle national and global
that enables us to focus on providing our impetus to this endeavor. We are looking challenges. This initiative is an example of
customers high-quality connectivity and forward to further sharing opportunities of how two organizations can benefit from
world-class digital services. By reducing passive and active telecom infrastructure partnering.”
our direct ownership of capex-intensive
tower infrastructure, we can focus on these
high-growth digital services, delivering
greater value to our shareholders and our
customers. The tower sharing agreement
reached with BTCL represents another
step towards implementing this strategy
and follows similar deals in other operating
countries. Under the agreement, BTCL
will share its tower infrastructures with
Banglalink. The initiative will enhance
Banglalink’s quality of services further by
supporting its 4G expansion drive, ensuring
energy-efficient operations and optimizing
the use of Bangladesh’s national resources.
“We always welcome network sharing

Communications Ministry to Launch Iraqi Satellite

The Iraqi Ministry of Communications to the state news agency (INA). The that the Iraqi ministry is in the process of
revealed on Sunday new steps taken to spokesperson of the Ministry of contracting with a consulting company
launch the first Iraqi satellite, according Communications, Adel Al-Araji, explained to build the satellite, INA reported. Araji
elaborated that the Iraqi government is in
contact with a company to determine the
requirements and technical specifications
for the satellite, adding that the project
will not cost the Iraqi Budget any amounts,
INA mentioned. In regards to the reasons
behind the suspension of the Iraqi satellite
project ten years ago, Araji explained that it
is an ambitious project that stopped since
2012, and it passed through circumstances
where the terrorist group of ISIS constituted
destabilization in the country, in addition to
the lack of a budget. Araji clarified that the
government has not allocated a budget for
this project since 2013. The Iraqi Ministry of
Communications announced in April 2021
an agreement to build the first satellite for
Iraq.

93 JULY-AUGUST 2022