Friday, September 20, 2013

3G Spectrum Auction in Bangladesh

In the 3G spectrum auction on Sunday, 8th September, 2013 held at Ruposhi Bangla Hotel in the capital Dhaka. The operator Grameenphone/GP bought 10MHz and other operators Robi, Airtel and Banglalink bought 5MHz each. The auction was concluded with just four calls, selling a total of 25MHz on the 2,100 band. A big chunk of 15MHz spectrum remained unsold.

Telecommunication Minister Shahara Khatun, Chairman of parliamentary standing committee on the ministry Md Abdus Sattar, Secretary Md Abubakar Siddique, BTRC Chairman Sunil Kanti Bose, Vice-Chairman Md Giashuddin Ahmed, and commissioner’s ATM Monirul Alam and Md Abdus Samad were present at the auction.

After the auction, the BTRC (Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission) sent a letter to the Telecommunication Ministry of Bangladesh, informing it of the auction and its outcome and requesting it to approve issuance of the 3G licenses soon to the operators.

BTRC chairman said in reply to a question “The telecom watchdog has no idea what it will do with the unsold spectrum. “The government will decide on the rest of the spectrum on the basis of demand”. He also said “There was no scope of an intense competition here as only four licenses were given and there were four applicants”.

The four mobile phone operators in the country GP, Robi, Airtel and Banglalink expressed satisfaction at the auction outcome and claimed there was no syndication about the auction. More details about the auction phase are as follows:


The first phase of the auction for 10MHz blocks started at 11:15am and the operator Grameenphone bid for $21m for each MHz within 439 milliseconds. The operator won the bidding as there was no other player for this block. Grameenphone got the chance to choose 10MHz spectrum in 2,125-2,135 band for downlink and 1,925-1,935 for uplink. Grameenphone CEO Vivek Sood said: “We are happy to get the spectrum to launch 3G. We will bring the 3G services to our valued customers at fastest possible time, ensuring the high quality for which GP is known for.”


In the second phase, Robi bid for 5MHz block within 410 milliseconds. Robi was given the opportunity to choose spectrum band, and it took 2,140-2,145 for downlink and 1,950-1,955 for uplink. Robi CEO Michael Kuehner told the Dhaka Tribune that their 3G service launching would depend on the issuance and handover of the actual license as well as receipt of the NOCs from the relevant authorities for import of equipment and its subsequent deployment.


Airtel bid after 44.792 seconds. Airtel took 2,135-2,140 for downlink and 1,945-1,950 for uplink. Chris Tobit, CEO of Airtel said “We are very hopeful to fulfill the government’s desire by rolling out the 3G network within the time [fixed in the guideline] and we are committed to deploying world class 3G network in the country”.


Just before the end of the 5-minute period for bidding, Banglalink joined the race. Banglalink got the rest of the block 2,145-2,150 and 1,955-1,960. CEO of Banglalink, Ziad Shatara said: “We are now ready to move on to the rollout phase, and ensure availability of this technology to our valued customers. Banglalink has always been at the forefront of technology in this market, and with 3G, we reiterate our commitment to deliver to our customers the next generation of technologies and value propositions.”

The BTRC found no bidder in the second clock-round for $22m, so Robi, Airtel and Banglalink got 5MHz each and no competitor responded to the auctioneer’s cry in the third phase.

The state-owned mobile operator Teletalk will get the 3G license by default on 2,150-2,160 MHz band and it will have to pay $21m, the price fixed by the auction. The country’s oldest CDMA operator Citycell had applied for 3G license but it did not finally deposit $20m of the earnest money.

Thanks a lot.

other related posts:
Bangladesh could show India the way to 3G - Forbes India
Offered 3G Packages from GP / Grameenphone
Various 3G Packages and Services from Teletalk

3G Packs from Airtel BD
Various Packages from Robi 3.5G
Banglalink 3G Package Details

Saturday, September 7, 2013

VoIP Business Products and Services from 8x8

8x8 provides business phone service and cloud contact center solutions. It is one of the largest VoIP service providers in the US which offers integrated voice, video and mobile unified communications solutions for small to medium-sized business and distributed enterprise customers.

This is a review post of various products from 8x8, your business can run smoothly by using these products whatever the size is, it does not matter. 8x8 helps to provide your customers a better service, work smarter and conduct business anywhere, anytime. From hosted VoIP phone service to hosted contact centers to unified communications, our services are easy to use, incredibly advanced and less expensive than traditional solutions. 

Complete Business Phone System:

  • Fortune 500 business features: With Virtual Office, you get all the business features that Fortune 500 companies have come to know and appreciate, including auto attendant, corporate directory, music-on-hold, conference bridge, and ring groups to name a few included!
  • More calling features: Enjoy all the standard features you had with your old service, without paying extra for them: personalized voicemail, 3-way calling, caller ID, call waiting, transfers, call forwarding, and many more. Plus, you get an online dashboard to more easily manage your communications with call history, voicemail notification, calling from your PC etc.
  • Freedom and mobility: Take your Virtual Office extension anywhere you like with our Virtual Office Mobile app for the Android, iPhone and iPad.
  • Outrageously affordable: Local, long distance, international calls are all so much more cost effective because we leverage the power of VoIP to reduce costs for you. And you won't need to buy or lease an expensive on-site PBX phone system either.
  • Get even more: Select from a wide range of optional features that will make the Virtual Office solution work even harder for you including Toll-free numbers, switchboard, traditional faxing etc. 8x8 also offer Virtual Office Pro that bundles Virtual Office phone service with online meetings, Internet faxing, and call recording.


Unify Your Communications:
8x8 Virtual Office Pro provides the same advanced phone features as Virtual Office, but then it takes your business to the next level by adding online meetings, call recording, and Internet Fax capabilities. These unified communication features help users connect with coworkers and customers around the world, boosting their productivity and your bottom line. Virtual Office Pro gives you all the benefits of 8x8 Virtual Office plus these benefits:

  • Online Meetings- Enhance Collaboration and Lower Costs: Virtual Office Pro includes Virtual Meeting web conferencing so you can hold unlimited web conferences with video for geographically dispersed employees and customers. Meeting participants can instantly share content for training, demos, and sales presentations right from their desktops, reducing travel costs and accelerating decision making.
  • Call Recording- Improve Employee Focus and Customer Service: Virtual Office Pro includes call recording so employees can focus on what's being said instead of taking notes. It's a great tool for training employees and documenting customer calls. This feature includes 1 GB of audio storage for up to 35 hours of recorded calls and meetings.
  • Internet Faxing- Send and Receive Documents from your Desktop: Internet faxing lets you send and receive faxes from any computer. Email notifications let you know right away when you receive a fax so you can respond quickly.


World-Class Virtual Contact Center:

  • Low start-up costs, low monthly fees: Implement with no hardware (except phones) to install or manage, just one low monthly fee.
  • Advanced call center features: Empower your team with advanced capabilities like skills-based routing, multimedia queuing, and real-time and reporting.
  • Your agents, anywhere: Unite local and remote agents under one virtual call center. All information is routed through the hosted call center application, so you can establish routing rules and agent groups without limiting you to a single physical location.
  • Get started quickly: Deploying a call center is now fast and easy; the jumpstart program of 8x8 gets you up and running fast.
  • Change is good: Configure your call center or make changes on the fly, without any assistance from your IT department. If you have a telesales group, a technical support helpdesk, or a customer service department, 8x8 has a solution for your business.


Virtual Meeting:

  • Unlimited Meetings: With Virtual Meeting, you can have an unlimited number of meetings a month for an unlimited duration.
  • 15 (or 50) participants per meeting: Standard package of 8x8 includes up to 15 participants per meeting, with the option to add more participants at a minimal cost on an as needed basis. Or you can choose our 50-participant plan.
  • No plug-ins required: All you need is a web browser. No plug-ins, downloads or hardware required.
  • Seamless integration with 8x8 Virtual Office and Virtual Office Pro: Virtual Meeting is available in the 8x8 Virtual Office Online portals with automated corporate directory integration. Sharing has never been easier- share your desktop, a portion of your desktop, or an application – you choose. Plus, you can pass desktop sharing to other participants.
  • Features to get excited about: Record meetings and download them FREE. Enjoy integrated VoIP and chat. Invite new participants while a meeting is in progress. Select flexible call-in numbers from around the world and more!




Video Conferencing in the Cloud:

  • 8x8 Cloud Conferencing changes everything. With 8x8 Virtual Room, video conferencing is:
  • Accessible to Everyone: Now video conferencing goes way beyond the boardroom. 8x8 Virtual Room works with video systems and video phones as well as computers with webcams. So everyone can be included, everyone can collaborate and your whole company benefits.
  • Simple: Video conferencing doesn't have to be so complicated. 8x8 Virtual Room gives your company its own private conference room in our cloud. You can instantly schedule video conferences online and participants join by dialing in or clicking a link in their email invitation.
  • Reliable and Available: Video conferencing has a reputation for being touchy and unreliable. With 8x8 Virtual Room, it just works. The 8x8 network has built in redundant systems to help ensure reliable, always-on performance.
  • Affordable: With 8x8, you can hold unlimited video meetings for up to 15 participants for one affordable flat monthly fee without worrying about per-minute or per user fees.
  • Leverage Video Investments: If you already own Polycom VVX or HDX equipment, talk to 8x8 about how you can get more out of it for less money, with 8x8 Virtual Room.


Thanks a lot for reading, for further details please visit 8x8 Inc.

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