Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)- The state-owned Teletalk, a mobile operator, is set to to launch the much awaited '3G' or 'Third Generation' phone services in Bangladesh by the end of this month, officials said.
"We've targeted September 27 to launch the 3G services as necessary technical set-up has already been installed," Teletalk Bangladesh Managing Director Mujibur Rahman was quoted by the state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) as saying.
He also said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to launch the services.
Only 300,000 subscribers would be enjoyed the services initially selected through lottery and another 400,000 SIMs would be distributed by December this year, he added.
"Initially, the services would be available in capital city as the Teletalk had installed over 200 3G-enabled base transceiver systems (BTS) in Dhaka, he noted.
The 3G mobile services is a fully wireless broadband, which is technically called high-speed packet access (HSPA), and it can be enjoyed through 3G- enabled handsets, smartphones and modems.
The country currently has about 90 million mobile telephony subscribers, according to data of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC).
BBN/SSR/AD-12Sept12-9:30 am (BST)
