Page 53 - ICE BUSINESS TIMES December 2019
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Michael                                                                            tools; we augment human                                                                                                                                   Bangladesh                                                                                   growth of the Bangladeshi
                                                                                                         Foley                                                                          intelligence and effort with                                                                                                                              Telecommunication                                                                            economy has been about 6.5% on
                                                                                             CEO, Grameenphone Ltd.                                                                     these advanced technologies.                                                                                                                              Regulatory Commission                                                                        average. In 2018, the growth was
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  (BTRC) is targeting to                                                                       7.3%, and hopefully, we will
                                                                                                                                                                                        Your consumer base is                                                                                                                                     commence 5G mobile                                                                           surpass that rate this year
                                                                                                                                                                                        incredibly large and                                                                                                                                      network by 2023? Do                                                                          (2019). It is the result of policy,
                                                                                                                                                                                        diverse, does that make                                                                                                                                   you believe we are on                                                                        vision and execution of the
                                                                                                                                                                                        predicting even more                                                                                                                                      track to achieve that                                                                        government and people of
                                                                                                                                                                                        challenging?                                                                                                                                              target?                                                                                      Bangladesh. This incredible
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Well, the good news is the                                                                   economic growth has raised     You have been in Bangladesh
                                                                                                                                                                                        We have roughly 76 million   good at dealing with these                                                                                                                                                                                                millions of people every year
                                                                                                                                                                                        customers right now, and that   things. So eventually, we get                                                                                             equipment that we're installing                                                              from poverty towards the middle   for three years now.Are you
                                                                                                                                                                                        scale allows us to do very   good at dealing with the                                                                                                     right now is essentially the                                                                 class, playing a significant role   having fun?
                                                                                                                                                                                        significant analysis. For    challenges that exist in specific                                                                                            last generation of 4g                                                                        in reducing inequalities.  Three   So, does it look like I'm
                                                                                                                                                                                        example, GP serves up 400    markets.                                                                                                                     equipment. And it's all                                                                      key technologies facilitate in   (laugh) . I'm very passionat
                                                                                                                                                                                        million minutes of voice                                                                                                                                  designed to be somewhat                                                                      reducing inequalities are medical   being here. It has been a
                                                                                                                                                                                        services per day. In every one   Do you have to make any                                                                                                  compatible with 5g. So when                                                                  services, electrification, and   privilege to lead a company
                                                                                                                                                                                        of those calls, there are    adjustments to your style                                                                                                    5g happens, we will be able to                                                               mobile telecommunications.     that does so much good.
                                                                                                                                                                                        multiple interactions. These   of leadership depending                                                                                                    launch in pockets 5g where it's                                                              When you put in mobile services   Grameenphone pays more corp
                                                                                                                                                                                        interactions allow us to create   on the country you are                                                                                                  needed. But 5g will not bring a                                                              into a community, you end up   tax than about five next compa
                                                                                                                                                                                        models of how our customers   working?                                                                                                                    revolution of new equipment.                                                                 with people having access to   combined. We are fully aware t
                                                                                                                                                                                        and the economy behaves,                                                                                                                                  There might be some new                                                                      trade, commerce and education   70% of daily traffic goes thr
 much more complicated.   opportunities where                                                                                                                                           which eventually enables us to   Yes! I usually tend to be very                                                                                           antennas, spectrum and                                        How do you deal with
 In the past, in telecom, the   otherwise we would not                                                                                                     Therefore, we moved to a     start crafting services and   deeply hands-on, involved in                                                                                                baseboards in our equipment,                                  cyber security concerns?       and security. You also ensure   networks. In places like Sylh
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Rajshahi, if our network goes
 only real evolution was in   have searched before. The                                                                                                                                 products that meet the needs   every aspect of the business.                                                                                              but it will not be a massive                                  There are a few things that keep   access to essential services like
 technology, and you could   process stipulates making                                                                                                     completely different operation   of clients. And that the ability   From working on promotions                                                                                         revolution.                                                   me awake, and I spend a lot of   medical care, information and   for 10 mins (it doesn't), t
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              stops because we have 80-85 ma
                                                                                                                                                           from where we were before.
 predict the path of   the organization leaner. It                                                                                                                                      of computing power today to   to setting up towers in various                                                                                             There are three primary                                       time worrying about,           connectivity with your friends.
 progression.  Now, the   also involves removing                                                                                                           So, the answer to dealing with   crunch this amount of is such   districts, I prefer to be engaged                                                      end of next year, we will have all   services for 5g. One is                                 cybersecurity is one of them. The   And it is in itself a form it is a   share. So this is a
                                                                                                                                                           an uncertain future is to give
 transformation has   layers of management,                                                                                                                                             that the scale of it gives us an   in every operation. However,                                                            our sites under 4G coverage    ultra-high-speed mobile                                       devices that we have in our    form of socio-economic         How do you like to spend
 become multidimensional;   automating and replacing                                                                                                       yourself the tools to be much   advantage rather than a   this business has become so                                                                   which amounts to approximately   services; the second thing is                               hands today are the            development.                   your free time?
                                                                                                                                                           more flexible. And we call that
 every other aspect of the   outdated systems.  Instead                                                                                                                                 deficit.                     massive and complex that it                                                                   95% of the population.         this massive machine type                                     supercomputers of a decade ago.   So the very nature of what we do
 sector is evolving,   of using massive system                                                                                                             “Agile”; we have to react                                 doesn't allow me to do that                                                                   We have 30-40 million people in   communication. So, MMPC,                                   We now operate on IP networks,   in the industry, not just myself   Free time!what's that? (
                                                                                                                                                           quickly. But we also have to
 including the regulatory   developments and releases                                                                                                                                   You have previously          anymore. Likewise,  our                                                                       our country who still use 2G   this requires very, very small                                just like computers do. So the   but my colleagues in the telecom   have a hectic schedule b
 environment and   once every half year, or                                                                                                                predict and move fast while   worked as CEO of Telenor    corporate strategy of "Red way                                 My leadership team and I do not   handsets, for them migrating is   bandwidth. Many devices                                 risks are not only from handsets   sector, contributes to reducing   time is mostly spent wi
                                                                                                                                                           being in touch with the market
 international competition.   every year, we now have a                                                                                                                                 Pakistan and Bulgaria,       of work" and "Agile" makes the                                 need to tell them how to do    more difficult as 4G smartphones   around the world, for example,                            but for from other entities as   inequalities from the        I have two daughters in Canada
 Concurrently, new players   customer-facing tool,                                                                                                         by using tools like Big Data   are there any specific     leader play a different role. So                               something. We only explicate our   are expensive.             metering, electrical grid                                     well. Criminals might want to get   technological aspect.     are in university, so much of
                                                                                                                                                           and AI.
 are entering the market   MyGP, which we do                                                                                                                                            challenges that you had      the leader plays two particular                                expectations in the end.        4G handsets are costly because   monitoring, water grid                                     in and play games with the     We are also moving to get more   time is spent sending them m
 like OTTs (Over The TOP),   releases every two weeks.                                                                                                                                  to overcome in               roles now; it includes setting                                 There are some exercises where   the government has put taxes on   monitoring use this                                      networks for industrial        women into management, it      (laugh). I have remarried, my
                                                                                                                                                           How has GrameenPhone
 cross-platform messaging                                                                                                                                  incorporated the use of      Bangladesh?                  clear objectives and managing                                  I'm on the team but not leading.   its import. In my opinion, its   technology, this can be done                            espionage or for hacking       makes the company more         a Kenyan national, she's from
 and VoIP platforms like                                                                                                                                   Big data and AI in its                                    the results closely.                                           My office doesn't have a big wall   (taxes) pretty reasonable and it   partly on 4g as well.                                information about customers. We   productive. The decisions are   Nairobi. We have a four-ye
 WhatsApp and Viber. Most                                                                                                                                  operations?                  I've previously worked in    And in the middle, you let                                     around it and has a desk like   appears to be a successful policy   And then there's very fast, very                        have a fundamental             more robust, and you represent   daughter, and they share the
 importantly, consumer                                                                                                                                                                  markets similar to Bangladesh,   people within broad guidelines                             everybody else, and anyone can   for the government actually to   highly reliable low latency,  5g                          responsibility to ensure the   the client base that you serve   between Nairobi and here (Dh
 behaviour and preferences                                                                                                                                 We use Big Data, Machine     including  Nigeria, Kenya and   find their way. My job as a                                 walk up to me. I am also part of   encourage manufacturers to build   services for gaming or                                safety of our networks for     because 40- 50% of our client   When they are in town, that's
 are constantly evolving.                                                                                                                                  learning, and some AI to     Tanzania. Like any other     leader is to set those very clear                              some business teams only to    manufacturing facilities here in   autonomous vehicles or                                    national security reasons. So it's   base are women. We're also   of my time.When they are a
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    provide guidance rather than
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               developing female managers for
 The Telecom industry   Consequently, the future is                                                                                                        design promotions. They help   market, Bangladesh has some   objectives and to manage the                                being the final decision-maker.  Bangladesh. And the government   telerobotics. So, a doctor or a                           something we spent a lot of time   every one of the leadership   spend most of my free time
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   of Bangladesh has put in the
                                                                                                                                                                                        specific challenges. For us
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     results at the end, and then
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Most of the books that I pick
 no longer predictable;
                                                                                                                                                           us to understand the
 is a dynamic and                                                                                                                                          consumers by Upazilas, or    (Telenor Group), Bangladesh   facilitate the way they do                                                                   right pair of barriers at the   surgeon doing surgery                                        on.                            teams in the company.          have to do with international
 rapidly evolving   therefore, we have to                                                                                                                  even smaller groups and      has been one of the most     things, but let people find their                              Are you satisfied with the     border. If you're bringing in parts,   remotely over a wireless                                                             Thirdly, by the end of this year,   economics or internet or
 allow ourselves to
 sector, what                                                                                                                                              design promotions accordingly.    successful ventures, and we've   way.                                                  rate of 4G adaptation          the tariffs are more, if you're   network, those things are                                  Grameenphone has               we will have trained about     international politics. I usua
 challenges does this   perceive/predict and react,                                                                                                        Grameenphone can modify the   been here for more than two   George Patton, the American                                  among Bangladeshi              bringing in components, they are   further down in the future for                            committed to the UN SDG        300,000 adults, and a million   the reading List of  Fareed Z
 which is not easy for big
 pose? What are the                                                                                                                                        offers that consumers get,   decades. It is the cornerstone   general in the Second World                                consumers?                     lower. So the more you get into   us in Bangladesh, although                                 #10 – (Reduced                 children face to face on how to   host of GPS on CNN. I don't
 strategies that help   companies.  To make that                                                                                                           based on their usage almost in   of our activities in Asia.  War, said to let people do their                            Yes! The adaptation rate is    field manufacturing, the less   some of it might come, some                                  Inequalities) in               use the internet safely. We are   this program, and I like wa
 happen, we have had to
 you to ensure the                                                                                                                                         real-time.                    For Bangladesh, some        job the way they want to, they                                                                expensive it is to build a headset   specific applications might                             Bangladesh, what are the       teaching them the importance of   what he does. And so I usua
 ship is guided in the   change the culture of not                                                                                                          We are also using more and   obstacles are very distinctive,   might surprise you with the                              admirable. There are challenges,   here.                      come early like robotics,                                     aspects of inequality does     having strong passwords,       books out of his reading list.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    and most of them have to do with
 just Grameenphone
 right direction?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  And while it may have caused a   manufacturing controls or so                                GP want to address? What       dangers of sharing real-time
 fundamentally, but the                                                                                                                                    more of these tools for      for example, I've been here for   results. And this is what                                 handset availability.                                         on. Although, the business                                    are the activities you have                                   fiction, I'm a huge Star Trek
 That's a wonderful   entire Telenor Group over                                                                                                            management of networks       36 months, and we have       happens in GP, we have a                                       Smartphones are expensive in   bit of a challenge for people to   cases are further out at this                             undertaken to serve this       location and securing private   Wars fan. I've read 400 Star
 question and a great topic   the last four years to                                                                                                       because they are becoming    already had three cyclones.   fantastic team of people, the                                 Bangladesh, but there's a      adopt, in the long term, this is an   moment. Eventually, every                              objective?                     information from strangers —   novels in my life. So I know
 to start the conversation   become much more                                                                                                              very complex.  Modern        These are obstacles that you   best in Bangladesh work for                                  reasonable good reason for that.   excellent decision. As the handset   application will happen in                                                         Simultaneously, guiding them on   everything about Star Trek
 because our industry and   supple. It allowed us to                                                                                                       networking technologies      don't have in other parts of the   us, and they do amazing                                  Right now, we cover 71% of the   prices come down, people will   Bangladesh as well, and it will                            I want to open this by saying one   how to use the internet   to know about.
 the world is becoming   adapt quickly and look for                                                                                                        require incredibly sophisticated   world. But we have become   things.                                                   population with 4G. And by the   eventually migrate 4G handsets.  happen pretty quick.                                      thing, over the last decade, the   responsibly.
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