Grameenphone, widely abbreviated as (
d/b/a
A trade name, trading name, or business name, is a pseudonym used by companies that do not operate under their registered company name. The term for this type of alternative name is a "fictitious" business name. Registering the fictitious name w ...
) GP, is the leading telecommunications service provider in Bangladesh, with 83.02 million subscribers (as of January 2022). It is a joint venture between
Telenor
Telenor ASA ( or ) is a Norwegian majority state-owned multinational telecommunications company headquartered at Fornebu in Bærum, close to Oslo. It is one of the world's largest mobile telecommunications companies with operations worldwide, ...
and
Grameen Telecom Corporation.
Telenor
Telenor ASA ( or ) is a Norwegian majority state-owned multinational telecommunications company headquartered at Fornebu in Bærum, close to Oslo. It is one of the world's largest mobile telecommunications companies with operations worldwide, ...
, a telecommunication company from
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
, owns a 55.8% share of Grameenphone,
Grameen Telecom
Grameen Telecom (GTC) is a "Private Limited Company" by guarantee in Bangladesh established by Muhammad Yunus with a partial stake in Grameen Phone (GP). GTC has driven the pioneering GP program of Village Phone that enables rural poor to own a ce ...
owns 34.2% and the remaining 10% is publicly held.
Grameenphone was the first company to introduce
GSM technology in Bangladesh. Grammenphone was the first private company to introduce 5G network in Bangladesh, which was first tested in
Dhaka
Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city ...
and
Chittagong
Chittagong ( /ˈtʃɪt əˌɡɒŋ/ ''chit-uh-gong''; ctg, চিটাং; bn, চিটাগং), officially Chattogram ( bn, চট্টগ্রাম), is the second-largest city in Bangladesh after Dhaka and third largest city in B ...
metro area in mid-2022. In September 2022, Grameenphone successfully conducted trials for the second time in
Dhaka
Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city ...
,
Chittagong
Chittagong ( /ˈtʃɪt əˌɡɒŋ/ ''chit-uh-gong''; ctg, চিটাং; bn, চিটাগং), officially Chattogram ( bn, চট্টগ্রাম), is the second-largest city in Bangladesh after Dhaka and third largest city in B ...
,
Sylhet
Sylhet ( bn, সিলেট) is a metropolitan city in northeastern Bangladesh. It is the administrative seat of the Sylhet Division. Located on the north bank of the Surma River at the eastern tip of Bengal, Sylhet has a subtropical climate an ...
,
Khulna
Khulna ( bn, খুলনা, ) is the third-largest city in Bangladesh, after Dhaka and Chittagong. It is the administrative centre of Khulna District and Khulna Division. Khulna's economy is the third-largest in Bangladesh, contributing $53 b ...
,
Rajshahi
Rajshahi ( bn, রাজশাহী, ) is a metropolis, metropolitan city and a major urban, commercial and educational centre of Bangladesh. It is also the administrative seat of the eponymous Rajshahi Division, division and Rajshahi District ...
,
Barisal
Barisal ( or ; bn, বরিশাল, ), officially known as Barishal, is a major city that lies on the banks of the Kirtankhola river in south-central Bangladesh. It is the largest city and the administrative headquarter of both Barisal Dist ...
,
Mymensingh
Mymensingh ( bn, ময়মনসিংহ) is the capital of Mymensingh Division, Bangladesh. Located on the bank of Brahmaputra River, about north of the national capital Dhaka, it is a major financial center and educational hub of north ...
and
Rangpur cities.
History
Founder
Iqbal Quadir
Iqbal Z. Quadir ( bn, ইকবাল জেড. কাদীর) is an entrepreneur and promoter of the role of entrepreneurship and innovations in creating prosperity in low-income countries. He has taught at Harvard Kennedy School and at Mas ...
founded Grameenphone to provide universal mobile phone access throughout Bangladesh, including its rural areas. He was inspired by the
Grameen Bank
Grameen Bank ( bn, গ্রামীণ ব্যাংক) is a microfinance organisation and community development bank founded in Bangladesh. It makes small loans (known as microcredit or "grameencredit") to the impoverished without requi ...
micro-credit model and envisioned a business model where a cell phone can serve as a source of income. After leaving his job as an investment banker in the United States, Quadir met and successfully raised money from New York-based investor and philanthropist Joshua Mailman. He then returned to Bangladesh and worked for three years to gain support from organisations such as Grameen Bank and the Norwegian telecom company,
Telenor
Telenor ASA ( or ) is a Norwegian majority state-owned multinational telecommunications company headquartered at Fornebu in Bærum, close to Oslo. It is one of the world's largest mobile telecommunications companies with operations worldwide, ...
.
Grameenphone received a
license
A license (or licence) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit).
A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another party (licensee) as an element of an agreeme ...
for cellular phone operation in Bangladesh from the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications on 28 November 1996. The company started operations on 26 March 1997,
Independence Day in Bangladesh.
Changing logo
On 16 November 2006, Grameenphone officially changed its logo to match its parent company Telenor's logo.
Numbering scheme
Grameenphone uses the following numbering scheme for its subscribers:
* +880 13 XXXXXXXX
* +880 17 XXXXXXXX
880 is the
ISD code for Bangladesh and is needed only in case of dialing from outside Bangladesh (otherwise, it may be substituted by a 0, making the prefix 013 & 017).
13 & 17 is the prefix for Grameenphone as allocated by the government of Bangladesh. The following eight-digit number XXXXXXXX is the subscriber number. After exhausting the 017 series, Grameenphone became the first operator to launch a second series, the 013.
Network
According to Grameenphone, it has invested more than BDT 347.4 billion (US$4.12 billion) to build the
network infrastructure
A computer network is a set of computers sharing resources located on or provided by network nodes. The computers use common communication protocols over digital interconnections to communicate with each other. These interconnections are ...
since 2018. Grameenphone has built the largest
cellular network
A cellular network or mobile network is a communication network where the link to and from end nodes is wireless. The network is distributed over land areas called "cells", each served by at least one fixed-location transceiver (typically thre ...
in the country. Until 2021, (as of October 2021) Grameenphone has 18,023
base transceiver station (BTS), which geographically covers the largest population of Bangladesh with mobile network services.
The Grameenphone network is also
GPRS
General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) is a packet oriented mobile data standard on the 2G and 3G cellular communication network's global system for mobile communications (GSM). GPRS was established by European Telecommunications Standards Insti ...
/
EDGE
Edge or EDGE may refer to:
Technology Computing
* Edge computing, a network load-balancing system
* Edge device, an entry point to a computer network
* Adobe Edge, a graphical development application
* Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed by ...
/
3G-enabled, with a growing
4G network, allowing internet access within its coverage area.
Products
Grameenphone introduced pre-paid mobile phone service in Bangladesh in September 1999 via an EDGE/GPRS/3G/4G enabled network. Grameenphone was the first mobile operator in Bangladesh to offer internet via EDGE and 3G 4G services to its subscribers.
Grameenphone has developed several services, such as GP Music, a music streaming service launched in 2015, and Bioscope, a video streaming service launched in 2016 to stream movies, dramas and live TV. The company also owns an e-commerce app, Shoparu, offering door-to-door delivery service to all areas of Bangladesh, including rural areas. Feature phone users may visit any one of the host of Grameenphone Express Centers to order their goods online and receive home delivery.
In 2017, Grameenphone introduced its MyGP app that allowed subscribers, through an embedded platform called Flexiload, to personalize their own cell phone packages and discounts based on their personal need for voice minutes, data volumes, text messaging. The MyGP app allowed customers to monitor their usage in real time. MyGP now encompasses GP apps such as Bioscope and Shoparu, as well as third party ride sharing apps like
Uber
Uber Technologies, Inc. (Uber), based in San Francisco, provides mobility as a service, ride-hailing (allowing users to book a car and driver to transport them in a way similar to a taxi), food delivery (Uber Eats and Postmates), package ...
and Shohoz.
In March 2022, Grameenphone released embedded-SIM (
eSIM), for the foremost time in Bangladesh.
All services
*
Bioscope (Live TV)
Grameenphone, widely abbreviated as (d/b/a) GP, is the leading telecommunications service provider in Bangladesh, with 83.02 million subscribers (as of January 2022). It is a joint venture between Telenor and Grameen Telecom Corporation. Telen ...
is a video streaming platform for original show, drama, movie and live tv launched in 2016.
*
Ekhanei.com
Ekhanei ( bn, এখানেই, lit=right here) or ekhanei.com was a mobile-based online marketplace classified advertisements website of buying and selling property, gadgets, vehicles and personal items for sale. Tickets and jobs are also po ...
was e-commerce service (also known as CellBaazar) to enable users sell or buy products through mobile or internet. It was free to use for all Grameenphone customers, but was closed in 2017.
* GP BoiGhor is an online eBook service
* GP Gamebox is a subscription-based app store launched in 2014, which is powered by Bemobi
* GP Music is a music streaming launched in 2015.
* GPAY is a service to enable users to pay their utility bills through mobile launched in 2016.
* Mobileplay is an online gaming service.
*Grameenphone also owns
startup accelerator
Startup accelerators, also known as seed accelerators, are fixed-term, cohort-based programs, that include mentorship and educational components and culminate in a public pitch event or demo day. While traditional business incubators are often g ...
GP Accelerator and startup mentorship platform White-Board. The accelerator program launched its 6th batch of startups for a 4.5-month-long program on 6 November 2019, at GP House.
* Various other services like
stock
In finance, stock (also capital stock) consists of all the shares by which ownership of a corporation or company is divided.Longman Business English Dictionary: "stock - ''especially AmE'' one of the shares into which ownership of a company ...
information, Instant Messaging, SMS Based Alerts/Services, Voice-based Services, Downloads, music,
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
Updates,
Web SMS, Mobile Backup etc.
Skitto
In 2017, Grameenphone launched a specialized SIM for the data hungry, digitally savvy generation.
Skitto is an end to end digital product of Grameenphone that completely runs on an app. Although Skitto SIM is a separate product, it uses Grameenphone's core numbering scheme and its core network. As it is a digital product,
mobile number portability
Mobile number portability (MNP) enables mobile telephone
A mobile phone, cellular phone, cell phone, cellphone, handphone, hand phone or pocket phone, sometimes shortened to simply mobile, cell, or just phone, is a portable telephone that ...
is not supported from any other mobile operator and also from Grameenphone number itself. Skitto users can control their various packages using its own Skitto app, instead of the USSD codes and the MyGP app. The difference between the Skitto app and MyGP app is that it has a forum based system where users can solve their own problems.
Skitto's mobile app guarantees a continuous digital customer journey with all types of offers. In addition to Grameenphone's customer care centers and street Skitto points, it has online SIM sales management process. All advertising activity is controlled by the mobile app. Different types of advertising campaigns with loyalty and referral capabilities are given through the app. Dynamic customer segmentation and digitized customer notification process. It provides individual features such as creating own packages, recommendations, rewards, in-app chat for customer service, emergency credits, credit sharing, self-care and more.
Other activities
GrameenPhone has E-SIM
Village phone
With the help of Grameenphone, Grameen Telecom operates the national
Village Phone
Grameen Telecom (GTC) is a "Private Limited Company" by guarantee in Bangladesh established by Muhammad Yunus with a partial stake in Grameen Phone (GP). GTC has driven the pioneering GP program of Village Phone that enables rural poor to own a c ...
programme, alongside its own parent
Grameen Bank
Grameen Bank ( bn, গ্রামীণ ব্যাংক) is a microfinance organisation and community development bank founded in Bangladesh. It makes small loans (known as microcredit or "grameencredit") to the impoverished without requi ...
and the
International Finance Corporation
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is an international financial institution that offers investment, advisory, and asset-management services to encourage private-sector development in less developed countries. The IFC is a member of t ...
(IFC), acting as the sole provider of telecommunications services to a number of rural areas. Most Village Phone participants are women living in remote areas. Village Phone works as an owner-operated
GSM
The Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) is a standard developed by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) to describe the protocols for second-generation ( 2G) digital cellular networks used by mobile devices such ...
payphone whereby a borrower takes a
BDT 12,000 (US$200) loan from Grameen Bank to subscribe to Grameenphone and is then trained on how to operate it and how to charge others to use it at a profit. As of September 2006, there are more than 255,000 Village Phones in operation in 55,000 villages around Bangladesh. This program has been replicated also in some other countries including in
Uganda
}), is a landlocked country in East Africa
East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...
and
Rwanda
Rwanda (; rw, u Rwanda ), officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of Central Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator ...
in Africa.
Grameenphone Corporate Headquarter (GP House)
Grameenphone Corporate Headquarter (popularly known as "GP House"). Located at Bashundhara R/A,
Dhaka
Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city ...
, was formally inaugurated on 23 November 2010.
GP House considered one of the successful office buildings in
Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
.
It has been designed by Architect
Mohammad Foyez Ullah, Mustapha Khalid Palash and their team.
Community Information Centers
Community Information Center (CIC) or GPCIC was an initiative aimed at providing internet access and other communications services to rural areas. In February 2006, 26 CICs were established across the country as a pilot project. In this project, Grameenphone provided
GSM
The Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) is a standard developed by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) to describe the protocols for second-generation ( 2G) digital cellular networks used by mobile devices such ...
/
EDGE
Edge or EDGE may refer to:
Technology Computing
* Edge computing, a network load-balancing system
* Edge device, an entry point to a computer network
* Adobe Edge, a graphical development application
* Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed by ...
/
GPRS
General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) is a packet oriented mobile data standard on the 2G and 3G cellular communication network's global system for mobile communications (GSM). GPRS was established by European Telecommunications Standards Insti ...
infrastructure and technical support and other partners Grameen Telecom Corporation and Society for Economic and Basic Advancement (SEBA), were involved in selecting and training entrepreneurs to run the village centres. These CICs were used for a wide variety of business and personal purposes, from accessing health and agricultural information to using government services to video conferencing with relatives overseas. Grameenphone also trained entrepreneurs so that they could demonstrate to people how to set up an e-mail account and best make use of the Internet. Currently, none of the CICs are being operated by GP.
Grameenphone Centres
A Grameenphone Centre (GPC) serves as a "one stop solution" for customers, with all telecommunications products and services, under a single roof. A Grameenphone Centre also sells phones from vendors like
Samsung
The Samsung Group (or simply Samsung) ( ko, 삼성 ) is a South Korean multinational manufacturing conglomerate headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea. It comprises numerous affiliated businesses, most of them united under the ...
,
Apple
An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple fruit tree, trees are agriculture, cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, wh ...
,
Xiaomi
Corporation (; ), commonly known as Xiaomi and registered as Xiaomi Inc., is a Chinese designer and manufacturer of consumer electronics and related software, home appliances, and household items. Behind Samsung, it is the second largest ma ...
and more.
EDGE
Edge or EDGE may refer to:
Technology Computing
* Edge computing, a network load-balancing system
* Edge device, an entry point to a computer network
* Adobe Edge, a graphical development application
* Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed by ...
/
GPRS
General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) is a packet oriented mobile data standard on the 2G and 3G cellular communication network's global system for mobile communications (GSM). GPRS was established by European Telecommunications Standards Insti ...
modems and accessories such chargers and headphones are also sold at GPCs.
As of February 2013, there are 85 GPCs and they are strategically located at all major locations of the country is operated by Grameenphone. There are two GP Lounges for customer experience of GP Digital Services. There are also 376,285 unique recharge outlets and 6,836 GP Express Stores all across Bangladesh.
Awards
# In 2002, Grameenphone was adjudged the ''Joint Venture Enterprise of the Year'' at the Bangladesh Business Awards.
# In February 2007, Grameenphone was again presented an award for its 'HealthLine Service' at the
3GSM World Congress
MWC Barcelona (formerly but still commonly referred to as Mobile World Congress) is an annual trade fair, trade show organised by GSMA, dedicated primarily to the Mobile telephony, mobile communications industry.
The event is held in Barcelon ...
held in
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
, Spain.
#In 2007, and consecutively in 2015 and 2016, Grameenphone received the "Best Brand Award" by the Brand Forum.
#In 2010, 2011 and 2013, Grameenphone received the "Best Employer" award by BDJOBs.
#Grameenphone received "Green Mobile Award" by GSMA for extensive Climate Change Program at Mobile World Congress 2014.
#Grameenphone received the "Innovation in Corporate Social Responsibility Practices" award at the Bangladesh CSR Leadership Award 2018.
Criticism
Current issues and challenges
Significant market player: In November 2018, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) identified SMP as institutions with at least the following a) more than 40% market revenue share, b) more than 40% of market share, or c) holding more than 40% of spectrum. Grameenphone was declared a Significant Market Player by BTRC as having over 40% market and revenue share. Disagreements between the operator and the regulator have since ensued regarding the penalties for being a SMP. Grameenphone has maintained that it supports a competition framework consistent with the applicable laws and international best practices; and that directives should not restrict an entities' ability to grow, innovate or invest. The company has earned market share through fair practices and within the stipulated market regulation overseeing the industry. BTRC on the other hand has been trying to impose various rules on the operator in order to restrict the operator's growth and maintain healthy competition in the market. Despite various regulatory issues, Grameenphone continues to maintain a healthy growth in the market.
BTRC Audit claims: In April 2019, BTRC issued a letter to Grameenphone claiming almost BDT 12,600 cr (US$1.5 billion) in dues. GP was issued a demand letter and given two weeks to pay the dues, according to BTRC Chairman. In response to the move by the government authorities, Grameenphone stated, "Throughout the entire process we have pointed out errors in the methodologies, procedure and substance of this audit exercise; however, our observations have gone unheeded. Grameenphone is a transparent company and adheres to the applicable laws of the land".
References
External links
*
*
{{Authority control
Telenor
Mobile phone companies of Bangladesh
Telecommunications companies established in 1997
Companies listed on the Chittagong Stock Exchange
Telecommunications companies of Bangladesh
Bangladeshi subsidiaries of foreign companies
Companies listed on the Dhaka Stock Exchange