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Internet as an enabler

Introducing structural changes in PAYGo Internet.
Once access to internet was restricted to selected urban few and that too within their homes through fixed lines, but today internet is much more proliferated thanks to the efforts by the mobile industry. While Bangladesh is still at an early stage of internet penetration, there is tremendous growth opportunity moving forward. For many in Bangladesh, their internet enabled mobile phone will be the only gateway to the Web, and the belief is that with better awareness, affordability and easy configuration, more and more Bangladeshis can get online and engage with the world.
Due to the mobile operators 2nd generation internet technology, which they cannot upgrade in absence of a 3G license, they are lagging behind in speed in comparison with Teletalk (who have already deployed 3G), Citycell's EVDO service or even the WiMAX operators. However, it is also a fact that we have really not seen the existing high speed players reach the level of coverage of many of the mobile operators (e.g. Grameenphone) who have made it possible to access mobile internet from anywhere in Bangladesh. The country is eagerly awaiting the successful auction of 3G license when we can un-leash the true potential of high speed mobile data access for the end users.
The explosion of mobile internet occurred in April of 2010 when Grameenphone first launched a sensible & affordable Minipack 15MB data offer for BDT 29 targeting the internet enabled handset users. Today the mobile industry offers a wide range of data packs catering to the usage needs & device types for a range of segments.
Operators now offer bite sized micropacks (1MB) for as low as
BDT 2. For smartphone and tablet users who demand more, the ideal should be 1GB packs. From operator to operator, the price of 1GB packs varies from BDT 275 to 300. And finally, there are unlimited packages (with Fair Usage Policies) which one can hook up with a modem for regular PC/laptop/ heavy usage.
Telecom Regulator deserves a round of praise for guiding and directing the operators to become more customer-centric. As of July 2013, the mobile industry has also taken another praise-worthy step to reduce their Pay As You Go data pack prices in order to make it more affordable for the newbie's. This has been a long pending expectation of BTRC as well as from consumer activists group, who felt that the pay as you go
prices did not come down since its inception even though the price of bandwidth had come down significantly over the years. Grameenphone, on a very bold move, slashed their pay as you go tariffs by 50% which is the highest drop amongst any operator. The "New Pay As You Go" internet pack will charge simply 1 paisa per KiloByte over a no-use no-pay modality. This is by far the lowest pay as you go price within the industry. Being the largest mobile Internet Service Provider in the business, Grameenphone's EDGE network has the widest coverage (99% of the population) in the country to allow its valued subscriber easy access and seamless data access across the country.
However, the tariff reduction alone is not enough to getsubscribers onboard. A big
barrier to adopt cellular inernet was their concern of 'bill shock', particularly from new mart phone users who were unaware of the bakend consumptions of internet in their smart devices. Reazing this, GP (first amongst the operators) introduce maximum usage threshold in a month (for their PAYGo data pack) so that there is a capping of the maximum amount of internet usage (accidental or intentional) that can be racked up in a particular 30 day period. This max threshold ensures zero bill shock & complete peace of mind for the first time internet customer. In additional to bill capping, customers will also get proactive volume usage notification at 50%, 80% & 100% usage and also be able to check internet volume usage at any point through SMS and
USSD free of cost. These advanced features have been incorporated by Grameenphone to facilitate transparent billing & to help customer have control over their usage of internet.
It is our expectation that mobile operators will play a leading role in enabling internet adoption and thereby putting an end to digital illiteracy. We believe fast, easy and reliable mobile internet access is a right of the Bangladeshi citizens and they can really play a vital role in making the dream of digital Bangladesh a reality as long as it is backed with proper support from the government.
The uniter is General Manager in Wireless Broadband Department in Grameenphone.
Shabbir Hossain