- LTE service demonstration using the combination of 1800 MHz and 2100 MHz bands through a single end-user device
- Mobile broadband download speed registered a blistering speed of 90 Mbps and above
- Similar trials will be conducted in more cities in Bangladesh
Dhaka, April 30, 2017: Leading Bangladeshi mobile phone operator, Robi Axiata Limited and Ericsson have successfully completed the trial of LTE (Long Term Evolution) technology in the capital city, Dhaka. The trial was conducted to demonstrate the operator’s readiness for introducing LTE services in the country. This is also a milestone-achievement for Ericsson Bangladesh and a sign of the growing readiness of the Bangladesh telecom market to adopt LTE technology.
The trial was performed using the latest commercial end-user device and combined carrier of 1800 MHz and 2100 MHz bands. Latest technology, such as Ericsson LTE 16B solution with radio RRUS 12 and baseband 5216 were used to carry out the trial. The LTE technology trial successfully showcased how a common user may experience the high-speed mobile broadband of 90 Mbps and above. Ericsson and Robi are going to run similar trials in other cities of Bangladesh shortly.
In addition to ensure readiness for the launch of 4G services, the trials are being conducted to demonstrate, how this technology can facilitate the end user in experiencing broadband applications such as High Definition (HD) TV and video conferencing services.
Mahtab Uddin Ahmed, Managing Director and CEO, Robi Axiata, said: “Although there are some barriers to the adoption of 4G/LTE technology such as low penetration of compatible smartphones, we recognize and appreciate our customers’ growing demand for high speed internet which can only be served using this technology. Unfortunately, we feel the licensing framework proposed by the government make the business case for 4G unviable in Bangladesh. However, we are very keen on introducing this technology in our telecom market considering the customers’ interest. Completion of the successful trial of 4G service on our network only reaffirms our keenness in this regard. In this context, we hope the government will kindly consider revising the licensing framework to make it more enabling for 4G business.
According to the Ericsson Mobility Report South East Asia and Oceania, June 2016, the number of smartphone subscriptions in Bangladesh will more than double from 2015 to 2021. This growth will power the need for high speed mobile download, upload and multiple high-bandwidth mobile applications, which is not possible with current mobile broadband speeds.
Besides offering high speed data experience, the LTE technology is expected to enable machine-to-machine (M2M) applications and support rich multimedia applications hosted in the cloud. This technology will also help the business community to experience more efficiency and help them to optimize their cost structures by centralized storage, enhanced processing capabilities and efficient use of the existing bandwidth.
Rajendra Pangrekar, Head of Ericsson Bangladesh, says "The trial confirms our long-term partnership with Robi and Ericsson's technology leadership in the LTE domain. Ericsson is looking forward to continuing to use our leading technology and expertise to support Robi in their transformation journey towards LTE, offering even higher quality services and more extensive applications to their customers."
Ericsson is the market leader in LTE. The company is present today in all high-traffic LTE markets including the US, Japan, South Korea, Australia and Canada, and has been selected by the top 10 LTE operators, as ranked by LTE subscriptions worldwide.