Teletalk to launch 5G in December: Jabbar

Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar has said state-owned mobile phone operator Teletalk will launch the fifth generation (5G) technology in the country on December 12 or 16 this year.

He said this while addressing a webinar titled “5G Ecosystem in Bangladesh and Upcoming Technologies” organised by Telecom Reporters Network Bangladesh on Saturday.

The minister said 5G would be rolled out on the National Information and Communication Technology Day on December 12 or the Victory Day on December 16 through a trial run in the Teletalk network.

He said a 5G spectrum auction would be held this year.

“We are hopeful that by 2022, we will see Teletalk and other operators providing 5G services.”

The minister said the government is ready to ensure that the companies needing 5G services would get it.

“Work is underway to provide 5G network in five economic zones. The needs and demands of the people are being given importance too,” he added.

AKM Shahiduzzaman, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission commissioner and chairman of the 5G policy formulation and implementation committee, said mobile phone manufacturers had been instructed to add 5G support.

Md Shahab Uddin, managing director of Teletalk, said 5G would require better handset capacity and fibre optic connection.

He said society would be transformed through 5G. “There will be 5G applications in medical, readymade garment, and agriculture.”

“We will initially launch the service in 200 sites in Dhaka city where fibre optic connections work smoothly,” he added.