Teletalk prepares to expand 3G as private sector competition looms

Bangladeshi state-owned cellco Teletalk, currently the only 3G W-CDMA/HSPA network operator in the country, is preparing a plan to expand its 3G services in several additional districts as its rival private sector operators are set to launch 3G services via the spectrum licence auction scheduled to be held on 8 September. The Dhaka Tribune quotes Teletalk officials stating that it has set up a project entitled ‘Expansion of 3G Network (E3N)’ at an estimated cost of USD40 million in foreign and local funds, to cover the ’15 Greater Districts’. Having launched in Dhaka in October 2012 the HSPA network currently covers the capital plus Narayangan, Gazipur, Chittagong and Sylhet, with coverage of Cox’s Bazar and Rajshahi expected shortly.