Page 54 - ICE BUSINESS TIMES December 2019
P. 54

Right now, we                tools; we augment human                                                                                                                                    Bangladesh                                                                                   growth of the Bangladeshi
                        cover 71% of the                  intelligence and effort with                                                                                                                               Telecommunication                                                                            economy has been about 6.5% on
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Regulatory Commission
                                                          these advanced technologies.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  average. In 2018, the growth was
                         population with                                                                                                                                                                             (BTRC) is targeting to                                                                       7.3%, and hopefully, we will
                   4G. And by the end                     Your consumer base is                                                                                                                                      commence 5G mobile                                                                           surpass that rate this year
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     network by 2023? Do
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  (2019). It is the result of policy,
                                                          incredibly large and
                          of next year, we                diverse, does that make                                                                                                                                    you believe we are on                                                                        vision and execution of the
                         will have all our                predicting even more                                                                                                                                       track to achieve that                                                                        government and people of
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     target?
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Bangladesh. This incredible
                            sites under 4G                challenging?                                                                                                                                               Well, the good news is the                                                                   economic growth has raised     You have been in Bangladesh
                          coverage which                  We have roughly 76 million   good at dealing with these                                                                                                    equipment that we're installing                                                              millions of people every year   for three years now.Are you
                                                          customers right now, and that
                                                                                       things. So eventually, we get
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  from poverty towards the middle
                                 amounts to               scale allows us to do very   good at dealing with the                                                                                                      right now is essentially the                                                                 class, playing a significant role   having fun?
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     last generation of 4g
                            approximately                 significant analysis. For    challenges that exist in specific                                                                                             equipment. And it's all                                                                      in reducing inequalities.  Three   So, does it look like I'm having fun?
                                                          example, GP serves up 400
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 (laugh) . I'm very passionate about
                                                                                       markets.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  key technologies facilitate in
                                  95% of the              million minutes of voice                                                                                                                                   designed to be somewhat                                                                      reducing inequalities are medical   being here. It has been a humbling
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     compatible with 5g. So when
                                  population.             services per day. In every one   Do you have to make any                                                                                                   5g happens, we will be able to                                                               services, electrification, and   privilege to lead a company like this
                                                          of those calls, there are
                                                                                       adjustments to your style
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 that does so much good.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  mobile telecommunications.
                                                          multiple interactions. These   of leadership depending                                                                                                     launch in pockets 5g where it's                                                              When you put in mobile services   Grameenphone pays more corporate
                                                          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 companies
                                                          models of how our customers   working?                                                                                                                     revolution of new equipment.                                                                 with people having access to   combined. We are fully aware that
                                                          and the economy behaves,                                                                                                                                   There might be some new                                                                      trade, commerce and education   70% of daily traffic goes through our
 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 Sylhet and
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Rajshahi, if our network goes down
 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), the economy
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 stops because we have 80-85 market
                             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 privilege.
                             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? (laugh), we
                             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 but my free
 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 with my family.
                             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 who
 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 my
                             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 money
 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 wife is
                             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-year-old
 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 their time
 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 (Dhaka).
 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 100%
 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 away, I
                                                                                                                                                       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 reading.
                                                                                                                                                                                      of Bangladesh has put in the
                                                          specific challenges. For us
                                                                                       results at the end, and then
 no longer predictable;
                             us to understand the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Most of the books that I pick up now
 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 usually use
 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 Zakaria,
 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 miss
 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 watching
 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 usually pick
 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. For
                                                                                                                                                       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 and Star
 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 Trek
 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 you want
 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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