Bangladesh will launch 5G by end of government’s tenure: Joy

Bangladesh will launch 5G mobile phone network by the end of the current Awami League government’s tenure, Sajeeb Wazed Joy has said.

The prime minister’s son and ICT affairs adviser made the announcement at the inauguration of Bangladesh Digital Fair at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka on Thursday.

“Like the other countries in the world, we are going to launch 5G. We will launch it by end of this Awami League government’s term. We had launched 4G in the last term and 3G in the previous one,” he said.

A woman looking at the deepest core of the earth using VR glasses at Digital Bangladesh Fair at the capital’s Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Agargaon. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

“We are committed to launch 5G… Bangladesh will no longer lag behind,” he added.

He advised the ICT entrepreneurs to increase knowledge-based products and services keeping the Fourth Industrial Revolution in mind.

Robots’ football game at a stall by Huawei is the top draw at the Digital Bangladesh Fair being held at the capital’s Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Agargaon. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

Joy also described the “complex” task of spreading internet connection all over the country in cooperation with the private sector.

“We now aim to take optical fibre connectivity to all the villages by 2021,” he said, noting that such connections were already available in 3,500 out of 4,500 unions.

People queue at the entrance to visit Digital Bangladesh Fair on the first day at the capital’s Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Agargaon on Thursday. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

The Post and Telecommunication Division has organised the three-day fair to highlight different aspects of the efforts to accomplish the government’s “Digital Bangladesh” initiative.

Visitors at checking stalls at Digital Bangladesh Fair at the capital’s Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Agargaon on Thursday. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

ZTE, Huawei, Nokia and Ericsson are showcasing 5G technologies at the fair.

Post and Telecommunication Minister Mustafa Jabbar and State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak, among others, were present.