Grameenphone (GP) has conducted the trial run for the 5G network with some use cases in Dhaka and Chattogram to unleash the future of connectivity in the country. Yasir Azman, CEO of the telecom operator, and GP management experienced the trial at the innovation lab of GPHouse on Tuesday, the company said in a statement.   The innovation lab is designed to test and experience 5G use cases phase by phase. Read: BTRC places indefinite suspension on GP SIM card sale Besides, the company aims to trial 5G in the rest of the other divisional cities very soon. According to the statement, the breakthrough 5G technology unleashes never-before-seen opportunities for industrial uses, advancing societies and dramatically enhancing day-to-day experiences to create a brighter, safer, and more sustainable future. With this accomplishment, the digital connectivity partner and the tech-service leader of the country is en route to contributing further to the next smart-Bangladesh ambition.   Read Tap offers up to Tk60 cashback on GP bundle purchase Marking the occasion, Yasir Azman said, “We thank the government, regulator, network partners, eco-system players, and our teams for making the future of connectivity – 5G a possibility. We look forward to greater collaboration and consultation in developing viable use cases and addressing challenges for 5G.” GP in partnership with Huawei and ZTE is playing the role of a digital enabler, unravelling new possibilities and accelerating the digital revolution in Bangladesh, it added.  Read GP, Bangladesh Red Crescent Society distribute relief among flood-hit people

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC)on Tuesday approved 10 development projects including  a Tk 1059 crore one to develop 5G-capable optical fiber transmission network for expanding  uninterrupted  telecommunication and broadband internet facilities throughout the country. The approval came from the 71st Ecnec meeting held with Ecnec chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair. The PM joined the meeting, virtually from her official residence Ganobhaban, while ministers and officials concerned attended it at the NEC Conference Room. “Today the meeting approved a total of 10 projects including two revised ones and the overall estimated cost of the projects is Tk 8,804.10 crore (only additional of the revised projects were counted here),” said Planning Minister MA Mannan while briefing reporters after the meeting. Of the cost, Tk 8,515.87 crore will be borne from the GoB fund, while Tk 120.78 crore from the own fund of an organisation concerned. The rest Tk 167.45 crore will come from foreign sources as project loan. The Minister the ADP implementation rate from July-December, 2021 was 30.21 percent, which is higher than 28.45 percent attained in July-December, 2020.   “Our ADP implementation rate, GDP, growth rate and per capita income have increased…..It has been possible due to the prompt and firm decisions taken by the Prime Minister ,” said Mannan. Talking about the project titled ‘Development of Optical Fiber Transmission Network of BTCL for 5G,’ the Planning Minister said the project will be implemented by December 2024 in order to upgrade our infrastructures and networks for 5G. Read: Subsidy on gas and electricity should end in phases, PM tells an Ecnec meeting The main project objective is to reach uninterrupted  telecommunication and broadband internet facilities throughout the country and to upgrade and expand the optical fiber transmission network of Bangladesh Telecommunications Company limited(  BTCL) to meet the growing demand.   Referring to a project titled ‘Hospital Based Medical Waste Management in 15 Government Hospitals  with estimated cost of Tk 214.48 crore, Mannan said the Prime Minister asked the authorities concerned to bring other government hospitals under such management gradually. She said the government will develop a legal system to motivate private hospitals to follow this management. During the approval of ‘Establishment of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Novo-Theatre (Planetarium) in Khulna project involving Tk 553.84 crore, the PM directed the authorities concerned to set up Novo Theatres in other districts in phases. She also asked them to consider if a separate body can be set up under the Science and Technology Ministry to supervise the operations of the Novo Theatres. Sheikh Hasina directed the authorities to expedite the preparations to launch the Bangabandhu-II satellite. During approval of another project titled ‘Smart Prepayment Metering Project in Distribution Zones of BPDB’ involving Tk 619.30 crore, the PM directed the authorities concerned to find out a strategy for gradual withdrawal of subsidy from gas and electricity. “The subsidy is a serious matter. We must get out of the system,” said Planning Minister MA Mannan quoting her as saying. Read: Pre-departure Covid test no longer needed for UAE-bound passengers Noting that a huge subsidy is being provided now, she questioned how long the government should continue to provide the large amount of subsidy. “We’ll have to come out of the subsidy. The subsidy is not a just thing…. Some people are getting it (subsidy) and some others are paying for it,” she was quoted. Replying to a question, State Minister for Planning Dr Shamsul Alam said no discussion was held over agricultural subsidy in the meeting. “The agricultural subsidy will continue as it will help increase production,” he said. “The Prime Minister talked about electricity and gas subsidies as these are used not only by the poor but also by industries,” he said. Four other fresh projects are ‘Rehabilitation of Coastal Dams, Development of Drainage System and Protection of Banks in Mujib Nagar and Monpura of Bhola District, Phase-I’ project with estimated cost of Tk 1092.70 crore, Rehabilitation of Polders 41/6A, 41/6B and 41/7A  as well as Protection of Betagi town and other vulnerable parts from river erosion caused by Bishkhali and Payra rivers in Barguna District’ with Tk 826.49 crore, ’Integrated Community Based Center for Child Care, Protection and Swim-Safe Facilities’ project with Tk 271.83 crore, and ‘Establishment of 2 Modern Fire Stations in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Industrial Estate’ with Tk 122.72 crore.      Meanwhile, the Ecnec endorsed the 1st revision of ‘Land Acquisition and Utility Transfer Project: Support to Improvement of Dhaka (Kachpur)-Sylhet-Tamabil Highway into 4-lane one and construction of service lanes on its two sides Project’ raising its cost by Tk 4,089.59 crore.  The cost was Tk 3,885.72 in the original project, which now stands at Tk 7,975.31 crore. The meeting approved ‘SASEC Road Connectivity Project: Improvement of Joydebpur-Chandra-Tangail-Elenga Road (N-4) into a 4-lane highway (3rd revised)’ slashing cost by Tk 45.95 crore as it cost came down to Tk 6168.46 crore from 6,214.41 crore.  In the original project, the cost was Tk 2,788.45 crore. 

ZTE Corporation, a major international provider of telecommunications, enterprise and consumer technology solutions for the Mobile Internet, has recently released the 5G Messaging Technical White Paper. The white paper aims at building the 5G killer service to better serve the public and thousands of industries, said a press release on Saturday. The messaging service is the basic service for operators. ZTE, by virtue of its 5G network technologies, took the lead in proposing the 5G Messaging solution. Also read: ZTE launches 5G smartphone pre-sale “With the advent of the latest technological evolution, standard development and terminal development of 5G networks, 5G Messaging is divided into three categories of messaging services--5G Short Message Service (SMS), 5G Rich Media Messaging and 5G Internet of Things (IoT) Messaging. 5G Short Message Service According to the 3GPP technical standards and terminal capabilities, the 5G networks and terminals will support SMS over NAS (Non Access Stratum), which is an SMS function based on 5G NR access. “The 5G SMS still provides the basic SMS services, with the functions and experiences being the same as those of the traditional SMS.” 5G Rich Media Messaging For a long time, the functions and experiences of the traditional text messages cannot satisfy the requirements of users, and restrict the development of industry applications. In the 5G era, the traditional text messaging is upgraded to GSMA UP2.4 with 5G rich media messaging and business messaging services, to complete a comprehensive upgrade of its functions, features, experiences and services. Also read: China's ZTE, local telecom firm start 5G technology trial in Uganda 5G Internet of Things (IoT) Messaging With 5G IoT Messaging standards and technologies that feature massive connections, low bandwidth, and lightweight, 5G IoT Messaging has achieved the messaging communication and commercial applications among objects, people and applications. ZTE is a leading equipment vendor for the global 5G Messaging platform. With rich experience in network construction, ZTE also has the excellent commercial operation experience in the world's largest messaging platform, where single LAN exceeds 100 million user scale and massive terminals are well-adapted. Also read: ZTE data center construction team awarded by DCD

To industry proponents, it’s the next huge innovation in wireless internet. To the U.S. government, it’s the backbone technology of a future that America will wrestle with China to control. To many average people, it’s simply a mystery. What, exactly, is 5G wireless — and will you even notice when it comes online? What is 5G?

Germany's interior minister is suggesting that his country can't build a 5G mobile network without Chinese tech giant Huawei, at least for now, intervening in an issue that has caused tensions between the U.S. and its allies.