The digital divide in Bangladesh is ongoing, and in order to address this disparity, network expansion to marginal areas will be undertaken.
This was stated by Mohammad Nahid Islam, Advisor to the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology, during a meeting with the delegation of the Malaysian tower construction company, edotco Bangladesh Limited, at the ministry's office today.
Edotco's Chief Executive Officer, Mohamed Adlan Ahmad Tajuddin, mentioned that Malaysia’s edotco Group is a successful organization in the mobile tower construction sector. In addition to building towers in Bangladesh, they are interested in making long-term investments in infrastructure development. They are keen to jointly contribute to the development of the people of Bangladesh.
The advisor noted that policy reforms are currently underway, and business regulations are also being taken into consideration. He added that if the agendas align with edotco, it will be easier to work together.
Mohamed Adlan said that edotco has been operating in Bangladesh for 10 years and is interested in working long-term in the country. He praised the advisor's prompt action in keeping towers operational during the floods in Feni.
Sunil Isaac, the Country Managing Director, said that due to high VAT taxes, internet costs are rising, and if these taxes are reduced, the price of internet services can be lowered. The money saved from VAT could also be used for infrastructure development, which would help boost Bangladesh's GDP growth.
Nahid Islam mentioned that due to network issues in rural areas, people are not receiving adequate services. Therefore, they are planning to expand the network, and tower expansion is crucial in this regard. With 5G coming soon, network expansion has become even more urgent. He stated that they would consider specific proposals from edotco on this matter.
Edotco's Director Anthony Kersauson, Corporate Affairs Director Ishrat Zarin, and senior ministry officials were present during the meeting.
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