TSS will be a hub for manufacturing quality digital devices: Telecom Minister
To develop the state-owned Telephone Industry Corporation- Telephone Shilpa Sangstha (TSS) as a hub for the production of quality digital devices, apart from modernizing the existing infrastructure and device manufacturing plants, short, medium and long term plans are being formulated and implemented for the production of smart phones, computers – laptops, SIM cards, battery cell (Lithium – Ion) chargers, power banks, routers and IoT and robotics devices, said the Minister for Posts and Telecommunications, Mustafa Jabbar.
Mustafa Jabbar informed so, while speaking at the workshop organized by TSS on the draft report of the integrated feasibility study on the modernization of the physical infrastructure of TSS, the establishment of new digital device production and assembly plants and the increase of the production-assembly capacity of the existing plants in the auditorium of the Directorate of Telecommunications in Dhaka on Wednesday.
Post and Telecommunication Division Secretary Abu Hena Morshed Zaman was present as a special guest on the occasion.
Mustafa Jabbar, while speaking as the chief guest, said that the journey of digital transformation of education has started, mentioning the necessity of developing the telephone industry as an organization capable of producing digital devices suitable for smart Bangladesh. In continuation of this, instead of books, students should be given tablets or laptops. Hon'ble Prime Minister has expressed her intention to strengthen TSS in Digital Bangladesh Task Force meeting in 2015 to deliver laptops to students. We have started the work of fully preparing TSS to realize that goal. He said, turning TSS into a profitable company is not the only goal. There is emotion attached to it. Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman established this institution. I was the one who was asked to take charge of strengthening TSS. This is the place of my passion, said the minister. Mustafa Jabbar highlighted the need for digital technology in building Smart Bangladesh and said, despite having skilled manpower and necessary infrastructure, the telephone industry could not be built reliably to manufacture and connect digital devices. The Doel laptop manufactured by the telephone industry has already managed to create a place of trust. After Doel started its journey in 2011, it was not possible to take Doel to a place of customer trust due to various reasons including lack of quality. That is no longer the case. TSS overcame that weakness. He mentioned that thousands of Doel computers and laptops of high quality devices supplied in recent years to various government institutions including the ICT Division are working uninterruptedly. The minister highlighted various observations on the draft survey report. He identified the existing constraints and their solutions to develop TSS as an exemplary state-owned profitable digital instrument manufacturer. He suggested clarifying various technical issues including means in the final survey report. He directed to prepare the final draft within the shortest possible time by incorporating various technical issues including the views of the concerned stakeholders.
Additional secretaries of Posts and Telecommunication Department A, K, M, Amirul Islam, Zeenat Ara and Mohammad Rezaul Karim, Director General of Department of Telecommunications Md. Rafiqul Islam, Managing Director of Submarine Cable Company Limited Md. Azam Ali and representatives of various organizations under the Department of Posts and Telecommunications were present on the occasion.
The journey of the telephone industry started on April 24, 1973 by the hand of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Earlier in 1967, the company was born as a joint venture of the government and M/s Siemens AG of West Germany called Telephone Industries Corporation. The core business of the company was to supply and manufacture analog and manual telephone exchanges, telephone sets and related equipment. After Siemens divested its stake in 2008, all shares in the company were transferred to the Posts and Telecommunications Division.
