The Department of Posts and Telecommunications presented a project worth BDT 2.3654 billion in the ECNEC meeting on Tuesday to introduce 5G technology commercially in the Dhaka metropolitan area. However, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the head of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council- ECNEC, canceled this proposal made on behalf of Teletalk Bangladesh Limited.
Considering that 80 percent of the equipment of the project is to be bought from abroad with dollars, the initiative to save dollars will be hindered, the project was returned without approval in the ECNEC meeting. At the same time, the Prime Minister has given instructions to further improve the quality of Teletalk’s 4G service across the country. She passed these instructions being connected virtually from the Ganabhaban.
Posts and Telecommunication Minister Mostafa Jabbar, Secretary of the Ministry Md. Khalilur Rahman, Teletalk Managing Director Md. Sahab Uddin were present. At the end of the meeting, Planning Minister MA Mannan explained the details of the meeting.
Planning Minister said, “We are going through austerity. 80 percent of the project cost is to be paid in foreign currency. So, it has been postponed. It will be implemented later. For this, the ECNEC meeting has been asked to find foreign loans.”
He also said that the Prime Minister thinks that Teletalk’s 5G project is not needed right now. He said, ‘Teletalk does not need 5G at the moment. People are not getting 4G services even in villages and haor areas. Update 4G first, then go for 5G. At the moment I am cutting costs.”
Planning Division Secretary Mamun Al Rashid said Teletalk’s 4G was not completely successful. So first comes 4G, then go for 5G. 80 percent of the project materials has to be imported from reserves. So it will be discussed from foreign sources.
It may be noted that, the implementation period of this proposed project was from July 2022 to December 2023. The project area was proposed to cover Prime Minister’s Office, important government buildings, Mohammadpur, Sher-e Bangla Nagar, Banani, Gulshan, Cantonment and Uttara Thana in Dhaka North City Corporation. The operator wanted to bring important government and commercial establishments of Motijheel, Ramna, Shahbagh and Dhanmondi Police Stations including Bangavaban and Secretariat in Dhaka South City Corporation area under the 5G network.