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Robi Axiata PLC on Monday became the first mobile operator in Bangladesh to officially launch commercial 5G services, marking a landmark milestone in the nation's digital transformation.
The formal launch ceremony was held at Robi's corporate headquarters in Dhaka, where senior government officials and telecom regulators welcomed the move as a "new chapter" in Bangladesh's connectivity journey.
However, the celebratory moment was quickly overshadowed when its rival Grameenphone (GP) made a surprise announcement just hours later, declaring the rollout of its own 5G services across all divisional cities -- an unplanned move that drew criticism as 'reactionary rather than visionary'.
At its launching event, Robi confirmed that 5G services are now live in Fakirapul, Maghbazar Chowrasta, parts of Dhaka University, as well as Khulshi in Chattogram and Sagor Dighir Par in Sylhet, with nationwide expansion planned in phases. The company also revealed that 5G was technically live in selected zones since Monday morning.
Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, special assistant to the chief adviser, described the launch as a "transformative movement" for Bangladesh but stressed that 5G must reach all segments of society, not just the urban elite.
"Being first is important, but equally important is laying the footprint in villages, hills, and riversides -- not just among the business community or the affluent," he said.
Mr Taiyeb warned that Bangladesh's telecom sector remains constrained by over-dependence on 2G networks, which occupy valuable spectrum.
He called for a phased shutdown of 2G and 3G to free resources for quality 4G and 5G services.
He also acknowledged that use cases for 5G are still underdeveloped and said regulators, government, and operators must work jointly to design services that benefit every profession, from rickshaw-pullers to high-tech industries.
He revealed that the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) is working to release 700 MHz spectrum soon, while also considering additional bands in the 800 and 900 MHz ranges.
On quality concerns, Mr Taiyeb said poor 4G services had been a "collective failure" of the industry and regulators, adding that the government will now enforce stricter quality benchmarks, including monthly performance monitoring and penalties for underperforming operators.
He urged operators to collaborate with device manufacturers, financial institutions, and marketing firms to improve smart device penetration through installment-based sales models.
Mr Taiyeb commended Robi's engineers and management for their pioneering role in launching the country's first 5G network and expressed hope that other operators would soon follow.
ICT Division Secretary Shish Haider Chowdhury highlighted 5G's potential to boost education, healthcare, employment, and smart city development, while BTRC Chairman Major General (retd) Md Emdad ul Bari termed the launch a "new horizon" for the sector.
Robi officials outlined an ambitious expansion plan. Head of Regulatory Affairs Shahed Alam said the company aims to increase 5G sites to more than 200 by the end of this year and 1,000 by the end of next year, with deployment prioritised in areas with at least 20 per cent smartphone penetration.
"Common customers will not need to pay for 5G unless they specifically use 5G-enabled services," he added.
Acting CEO M. Riyaaz Rasheed credited the government's vision and policy support for enabling the rapid rollout. Robi, which partnered with Ericsson and Huawei, positioned the launch as a carefully planned and pioneering initiative.
Meanwhile, two hours after the Robi's 5G launch, GP announced via a short Facebook video that it too had launched commercial 5G -- this time across all divisional headquarters.
The declaration by CEO Yasir Azman surprised even industry insiders who said GP had not been expected to advance its nationwide rollout on this date.
In a statement, Yasir Azman, Chief Executive Officer of Grameenphone, said, "This is a proud moment for Grameenphone as we launch 5G services across all divisional headquarters, delivering transformative technology to the people of Bangladesh."
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