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After a successful field trial, state-owned Teletalk and the country's major mobile-operator Banglalink on Tuesday announced a pilot programme for a new 'Active Sharing (Roaming)' service to share telecom infrastructure.
The initiative will allow Teletalk subscribers to automatically connect to Banglalink's network in areas with weak or no coverage -- especially remote and faraway rural districts.
This will be achieved through Teletalk's active collaboration with Banglalink, allowing Teletalk users to leverage Banglalink's infrastructure in these areas, thereby improving network coverage and service quality.
According to sector people, active sharing is an efficient way to optimise resources and unlock new opportunities for the country's telecom sector.
During the two-month piloting, some 2,000 selected Teletalk postpaid and prepaid subscribers will enjoy seamless voice, SMS and data services through Banglalink's Ookla-certified fastest 4G network across the country.
Zunaid Ahmed Palak, state minister of the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, announced the service during the Independence Day programme at the Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) Auditorium in Dhaka's Agargaon area.
High-level stakeholders from the ministry and the regulatory body were also present.
State Minister Palak appreciated the initiative as a "revolutionary concept" for Bangladesh's telecom sector, accelerating communication and economic progress.
"With this pioneering initiative from Banglalink and Teletalk, I am hopeful that future collaborations between government and non-governmental organisations will further accelerate our journey towards building a 'Smart Bangladesh'," he said.
At the programme, Engineer Md Mohiuddin Ahmed, chairman of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), said the BTRC has always prioritised encouraging infrastructure sharing within the industry.
The pilot programme, according to Mr Ahmed, reinforces the potential of such partnerships and the telecom regulator will continue to support Banglalink and Teletalk while leveraging the insights from the field trial for a successful commercial launch.
Banglalink CEO Erik Aas said they are committed to aligning with regulatory priorities and delivering exceptional customer service.
He labelled the collaboration with Teletalk as a significant national milestone, empowering Teletalk subscribers to utilise Banglalink's vast network infrastructure.
"Recently, we have doubled our network coverage nationwide, supporting the vision of a 'Smart Bangladesh'," Mr Aas added.
Teletalk MD AKM Habibur Rahman concurred that the pilot programme represents a significant advancement for Bangladesh's telecommunications industry.
Teletalk, Mr Rahman said, is committed to providing the highest quality of service to its subscribers and this collaboration with Banglalink will further enhance customer connectivity.