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Chapter 1

Introduction

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1.1 Statement of the Problem

History of Bangladesh telecommunication the Telegraph branch under the

Posts and Telegraph Department was created in 1853 in the then British

India and was regulated afterwards under the Telegraph Act-1885. The

Telegraph branch was reconstructed in 1962 in the then East Pakistan as

Pakistan Telegraph and Telephone Department. In 1971, after the

independence of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone

Department was set up under the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications.

This was converted into a corporate body named 'Telegraph and Telephone

Board' by promulgation of Telegraph and Telephone Board Ordinance, 1975.

In pursuance of an ordinance of 1979, Telegraph and Telephone Board was

converted into Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board (BTTB), as a

Government Board. From 1 July 2008, as per the Telecommunication policy,

1998, BTTB was converted into a public limited company - Bangladesh

Telecommunication Company Limited through another ordinance.

GrameenPhone knows that in near future, it has to add something more to

the regular internet services, so that the company will reach to the maturity

stage which will make the business growth constant to some extents. So, new

internet services would be the determining factor in future. For that reason,

they are preparing the offers with many more new offers for their internet

subscribers. But, most of the customers will not understand the offer and

benefit of the new offer or service until they are informed and teach about

that. So, it is very important to determine the current scenario of internet

services or offers given by GrameenPhone. So, this research reflects the

internet services current scenario of GrameenPhone.

1.2 Objective of the study

The prime objective of the study is to critically evaluate the current

scenario of GrameenPhone internet service. Through this study, I tried to

attain the following specific objectives:

Analyze the current status of the internet service of

GrameenPhone.

To analyze whether the internet service is demandable for the

market.

To find out the popular internet package of GrameenPhone.

To find out the satisfaction level of GrameenPhone internet

subscribers.

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To locate the specific areas of dissatisfaction of the GrameenPhone

internet users.

To suggest some measures to mitigate the dissatisfaction of the

GrameenPhone internet services.

1.3 Methodology of the study

1.3.1 Data source and collection

Data for this report has been extracted from primary sources as well as

secondary sources. There are given below-

Primary Data

Primary Data will be collected though questionnaire survey which

will be done on internet package users of GrameenPhone.

Secondary Data

Majority of the data will be collected from Annual Report Informal

discussion mainly with my supervisor, brochures, GrameenPhone

official Websites.

1.3.2 Sample Size

The total sample size is 50 for this study purpose. But specially 19

respondents were taken as GrameenPhone internet user.

1.3.3 Data Analysis & Interpretation

Analysis the data and Interpretation of the data also prepared for the study.

1.4 Limitation of the study

There have some limitation for this study. And the limitations are given

below-

Such a short internship period was not sufficient to understand the

insights of customer satisfaction level.

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Lack of information due to inadequate telecom publications and

journals.

Data availability could be another big issue here because company

might not want to disclose all the confidential information

regarding their managerial strategies and plans.

Data from different sources were quite inconsistent which created

some problems in making the report.

The outcome of the study can thus be regarded exploratory, and

may not be treated as absolute for the whole country. In latter case

a more comprehensive study is required.

All of the respondents are young generation (19-27 years old); their

opinion and preferences may conflict with the elders (more than 35

years old respondents). So it can also be done in the future.

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Chapter 2

Literature Review

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2.1 Literature Review

There have been few studies of Internet access in Bangladesh. Most of them

relate to overall Internet access, its growth, usage, impacts, barriers, and

position in Bangladesh.

Azad and Islam (1997) give an overview of Internet access including the

status of telecommunications in Bangladesh, launching of online Internet,

current rates for online Internet access, providers' views, major Internet

users, impacts and barriers, etc. They explore high service charges by the

providers, poor telecommunication system, government policy, and low

buying power of potential clients as major barriers to Internet access in

Bangladesh.

Press (1999) describes the emergence of the Internet in Bangladesh with its

various dimensions and constraints. He remarks that, as in many developing

nations, the Bangladeshi Internet is hobbled by poor telecommunication

infrastructure, lack of computing and networking equipment, few human

resources, and an indifferent, bureaucratic government.

Iqbal (1999) presents the background and growth of the local Internet,

problems encountered by ISPs, and the role of the Bangladesh Telegraph and

Telephone Board (BTTB). He also provides some suggestions for improved

Internet access in the country.

Rahman (2004) describes the present situation of Internet access in

Bangladesh, the dimension as well as the potential of Internet business, and

problems of Internet access.

Nasiruddin (2003) investigates the intensity of Internet use by academics in

Rajshahi University. He surveys 240 academics and examines the differences

in using Internet resources and the information and communication needs of

the academics according to their professional ranks as lecturer, assistant

professor, associate professor and professor. But he does not explain the

overall Internet infrastructure of the university. This paper attempts to fill

the gap in respect of Internet access to academic institutions in general with

a case study of Rajshahi University

In recent years, developing countries including Bangladesh have witnessed a

phenomenal development in the technology-dependent communication

medium, which is Internet. In both developing and developed countries,

Internet is growing rapidly as a strong and popular medium of

communication. Internet is not used only to meet the user‟s information

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needs. It has already been widened its scope in introducing many services.

Business activities are also considered to be operated through Internet,

popularly known as e-commerce. The Internet is revolutionizing every

aspects of business throughout the world. Although the quantum of

business done through Internet is small, it is growing exponentially (Khatibi

and Thiagarajan, 2000).

The government of Bangladesh considers the ICT sector as thirst sector in

the fifth five-year plan of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh. They approved

the transoceanic optical cable network project on March 17, 2004 in a

meeting of the executive committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC)

for submarine optic f iber cable connectivity. Recently Bangladesh has been

connected with information super highway through submarine optic fiber

networks with 16 countries consortium by SEA- ME-WE-4 project. The

government of the People‟s Republic of Bangladesh has inaugurated the

connectivity on 21st May 2006 although has not started its operation for

public use (Daily Star, 2006, Prothom Alo, 2006).

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Chapter 3

Company Details

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3.1 Name and location of the Company

GrameenPhone limited is now the leading telecommunications service

provider in Bangladesh. It is a joint venture enterprise between Telenor and

Grameen Telecom Corporation, a non-profit sister concern of the

internationally acclaimed microfinance organization and community

development bank Grameen Bank. Telenor is the largest telecommunications

company in Norway and it owns 62% shares of GrameenPhone and Grameen

Telecom owns the remaining 38%. Headquarter of GrameenPhone is situated

at Bashundhara Residential Area. They also have around 14 buildings in

Gulshan area, which was the previous headquarter of GrameenPhone office.

None of those are Grameenphone‟s own building. The “GP HOUSE”-

GrameenPhone 9-story headquarter building is located adjacent to the main

entrance of the Bashundhara Residential Area. The building was constructed

by “Associated Builders Corporation Limited” and Vistaara and Icon Architects

(VIA) was the consultant.

3.2 Historical background of the Company

The Telecom market in Bangladesh has differentiated characteristics of very

low Tele-density, inefficiency and totally controlled by capitalization. BTTB

(Bangladesh Telephone and Telegraph Board) is proved to be incapable of

providing sufficient interconnections to meet the demand of mobile services

providers. The state owned BTTB has been the monopoly telephone service

provider in the telecom industry. The zest of improving the efficiency and

ability of BTTB, the government initiated a restructuring program in telecom

sector to corporatize BTTB.

BTTB provided only fixed line telephony services in the urban areas where as

80% of the population of Bangladesh lived in the rural areas. This unequal

distribution of services created the opportunity for the mobile operators to

do business. In the telecom sector earth shaking changes cropped up when

Bangladesh government allowed private sector participation in telecom

sector by granting the permission to operate as a private service provider in

1989. This license was awarded to two operators, BRTA (Bangladesh Rural

Telecom Authority) and Sheba Telecom Pvt. Ltd. Opening its mobile phone

sector for private and foreign investment in 1989, Bangladesh holds the

pioneering figure among LDC‟s. Pacific Telecom launched the country's first

mobile phone service.

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3.3 About Telenor

Telenor Group is one of the world‟s major mobile operators with 148 million

mobile subscriptions. We have mobile operations in 11 markets and in

additionally 18 markets through our ownership in VimpelCom Ltd.

The Telenor Group is headquartered in Oslo, Norway and listed on the Oslo

Stock Exchange.

3.4 About Grameen telecom

The primary mandate of Grameen Telecom (GTC) is to promote development

of tele-communication services in rural areas of the country with a view to

reducing poverty by creating new opportunities for income generation

through self-employment with access to modern information and

communication based technologies.

Grameen Telecom, which owns 34.20% of the shares of GrameenPhone, is a

not-for-profit company in Bangladesh established by Professor Muhammad

Yunus, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize 2006.

Grameen Telecom, with its field network, administers the Village Phone

Program, through which GrameenPhone provides its services to the fast

growing rural customers, Grameen Telecom trains the operators and handles

all service-related issues.

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GTC has been acclaimed for the innovative Village Phone Program. GTC & its

Chairman Nobel Peace prize laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus have

received several awards which include; First ITU World information Society

Award in 2005; Petersburg Prize for Use of the IT to improve Poor People‟s

Lives” in 2004; GSM Association Award for “GSM in Community Service” in

2000.

3.5 Company Structure

GrameenPhone Ltd. Company Structure is given below-

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3.6 Journey of GrameenPhone

2013 Start WiFi zone based internet service in Banani and Gulshan.

Reached 40.33 million Active subscribers till March 2013.

Introducing Smart phones with connection. Introduce smart

internet package with free SMS, Talk time and MMS.

2012 Awarded license for 2G operation for 15 years effective from

November 2011; two new affordable packages „Amontron‟ and

„Nishchinto‟ were launched, 10-second pulse was introduced

for all products including help lines; A GP App was launched to

facilitate mobile self service; Reached 40.02 million

subscribers .

2011 Launched „My zone‟- location based discount on usage, Micro

SIM cards for iPhone, Spondon Package with 1-sec pulse;

GrameenPhone Branded Handset (C200, QWERTY handset

„Q100‟ and Android Handset „Crystal‟), Customer Experience

Lab, eCare solution; Completed swapping of 7,272 nos. of BTS;

Reached 36.5 Million subscribers .

2010 Launched New Tariff Plan, „MobiCash‟ Financial Service Brand,

Ekota for SME, Baadhon Package, Mobile Application

Development Contest & Network Campaign; Reached 29.97

Million subscribers .

2009 Listed on Dhaka Stock Exchange Ltd. and Chittagong Stock

Exchange Ltd.; Launched Internet Modem, Special Olympic

Regional Talent Hunt, Stay Green Campaign, Internet Package

P5 & P6, GrameenPhone Branded Handset & Study line;

Reached 21 Million subscribers .

2008 Introduced BlackBerry Service; Commissioned Brand

Positioning & launched Stay Close & Customer Care Campaign;

Reached 20 Million subscribers.

2007 Converted to a Public Limited Company; Re-launched Business

Solutions; Launched New VAS, Bull Stock Information, Missed

Call Alert & PayForMe Service; Re-branded djuice; Reached 16

Million subscribers .

2006 Launched Health Line, Smile Prepaid & Xplore Postpaid, Cell

bazaar, Business Solutions for Business Class & Community;

Introduced new GP Logo Following Maiden Decade of

Operation; Reached 10 Million subscribers.

2005 Launched Electronic Recharge System, djuice Brand Targeting

Youth Segment, EDGE & Voice SMS for the first time in

Bangladesh; Reached 4 Million subscribers .

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3.7 Name and characteristics of founders

GrameenPhone is a joint venture company comprising of:

Telenor A state-owned telecommunication company from Norway. It has a

long history of successful cooperation with other operators in

Russia, Hungary, Montenegro, Ireland, Bangladesh, Greece,

Germany, Germany, Australia, Malaysia etc.

Grameen Telecom

A sister concern of Grameen Bank. It was established by Grameen

Bank to organize and assist those Grameen bank borrowers who

wish to retail telephone services in the rural areas.

Marubeni Corporation

A leading investment and trading company from Japan. The

company owns 9.5% of GP.

Gonofone Development Corporation

A New York-based telecommunication development company

having investments in many companies in USA, Russia and other

parts of Europe. Gonofone Development Corp. owns 4.5% of GP.

2004 Reached 2 Million subscribers.

2003 Launched Prepaid Product with PSTN Connectivity; Reached 1

Million subscribers.

2002 Achieved BD Business Award for “Best Joint Venture

Enterprise”.

2001 Launched WAP Service.

1999 Launched First Prepaid Service in the Country.

1998 Launched Mobile to Mobile Service (without PSTN Access).

1997 Commenced Operation on the Independence Day of

Bangladesh.

1996 Incorporated as a Private Limited Company.

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3.8 Existing Share holders

GrameenPhone is the largest mobile operator in Bangladesh. The

shareholders of GrameenPhone contribute their unique, in-depth experience

in both telecommunications and development. It is a joint venture enterprise

between Telenor (55.8%), the largest telecommunications service provider in

Norway with mobile phone operations in 12 other countries, and Grameen

Telecom Corporation (34.2%), a non-profit organization of Bangladesh. The

other 10% shares belong to general retail and institutional investors.

Both are dedicated to Bangladesh and its struggle for economic progress and

have a deep commitment to GrameenPhone and its mission to provide

affordable telephony to the entire population of Bangladesh.

3.9 Company’s Vision

Grameenphone‟s vision is “We’re here to help.” That means GrameenPhone

Ltd. is always there to help the customers get the full assistance of

communications services in their daily lives. They want to make it simple for

the customers to get what and when they want it.

3.10 Company’s Mission

The mission of GrameenPhone Ltd is to deliver reliable, widespread,

convenient mobile and cost effective telephone services to the people in

Bangladesh irrespective of where they live. They are providing a total

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communication solution to its customers. To do this, the service advance of

GrameenPhone has extensively developed over the last few years.

GrameenPhone subscribers now enjoy all the modern data communication

and content services. Mobile office, internet access, MMS and modern music

and download services are available through the nationwide EDGE enabled

network.

3.11 Company’s Objective

GrameenPhone (GP) has been established to provide high-quality GSM

cellular service at affordable prices. GrameenPhone has a dual purpose:

To receive an economic return on its investment

To contribute to the economic development of Bangladesh where

telecommunications can play a critical role

The Company has developed its strategies so that it earns healthy returns

for its shareholders and at the same time, contributes to genuine

development of the country. This is why GrameenPhone, in collaboration

with Grameen Bank and Grameen Telecom, is aiming to place one phone in

each village to contribute significantly to the economic benefit of the poor. It

is on the way to get a total uprising in the telecommunication field. By

accomplishing the success factors, GrameenPhone would like to be

recognized as a consistent, honest and committed company to its valued

subscribers and stakeholders.

3.12 Operating Coverage

GrameenPhone has the leading network with the widest coverage in the

country. The GrameenPhone network now covers over 99 percent of the

population and over 87 percent of the land area with the remaining areas

mostly falling under the Sundarbans and the Chittagong Hill Tract areas

where mobile phone coverage is not allowed. Presently GrameenPhone has

covered 462 upazillas of 64 districts.

The company has so far invested more than BDT 10,700 core (USD 1.6

billion) to build the network infrastructure since its inception in 1997. It has

invested over BDT 3,100 core (USD 450 million) during the first three

quarters of 2007 while BDT 2,100 core (USD 310 million) was invested in

2006 alone. Since its inception in March 1997, GrameenPhone has built the

largest cellular network in the country with over 10,000 base stations in

more than 5700 locations. A record 4181 new base stations were put into

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operation around the country during the year, crossing the 10,000 base

station milestones in the process. In addition, the entire GrameenPhone

network is EDGE/GPRS enabled, allowing its customers to access high-speed

Internet from anywhere within the coverage area.

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3.13 Product and Internet service of GrameenPhone

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Chapter 4

Competitive Scenario

of

GrameenPhone

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4.1 Competitive Scenario of GrameenPhone

There are six mobile telephone operators in Bangladesh at the moment.

Among them one is Government owned telephone operator: Bangladesh

Telegraph and Telephone Board (BTTB) and the other five are privately

owned companies namely GrameenPhone Ltd., Axiata (Bangladesh) Limited,

Orascom Telecom Bangladesh Ltd., Pacific Bangladesh Telecom Ltd. (PBTL)

and Airtel Bangladesh Ltd.

GrameenPhone Limited

GrameenPhone Limited, the number one and leading mobile phone company

in the area of telecommunications in Bangladesh. GrameenPhone Limited

managed to grab 44% of the market share only by providing cost-effective &

best service available in the market of mobile telecommunication.

GrameenPhone Limited has made its expansion not only in the urban areas,

but also it stretched its network in the rural areas for the economic

empowerment of the rural people. It has the largest network, the widest

coverage, the biggest subscriber base and more value added services than

any other mobile phone operators in Bangladesh. GrameenPhone Limited has

a very strong competitive position in the telephone industry in the country.

Banglalink Digital Communication Limited; previously Orascom

Telecom Bangladesh Limited

When Banglalink entered the Bangladesh telecom industry in February 2005,

the scenario changed overnight with mobile telephony becoming an

extremely useful and affordable communication tool for people across all

segments. Banglalink was previously known as Sheba Telecom which began

operation in 1998. It was a joint venture between a Malaysian Conglomerate,

Technology Resources Industries Berhad and a local firm named Integrated

Services Ltd. (ISL). In 2005 Orascom Telecom Holding (OTH) acquired Sheba

Telecom and gave a new trading name Banglalink. Within one year of

operation, Banglalink became the fastest growing mobile operator of the

country.

Banglalink represent a market share of 27.18%. Banglalinks new company

name is Banglalink Digital Communication Limited Banglalink‟s total

subscriber is approximately 25.921 million or 2 core 59 lakh 21 thousand

subscribers .

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Axiata (Bangladesh) Limited

Axiata (Bangladesh) Limited is a dynamic and leading countrywide GSM

communication solution provider. It is a joint venture company between

Axiata Group Berhad, Malaysia and NTT DOCOMO INC, Japan. Axiata

(Bangladesh) Limited, formerly known as Telekom Malaysia International

(Bangladesh), commenced its operation in 1997 under the brand name Aktel

among the pioneer GSM mobile telecommunications service providers in

Bangladesh. In early 2008, Aktel slipped from the second position to the

third after facing fierce competition from Banglalink. Aktel boasts of the

widest international roaming service in the market, connecting 315

operators across 170 countries. It is the first operator in the country to

introduce GPRS. Aktel uses GSM 900/1800 MHz standard and operates on

allocated 12.8MHz frequency spectrum. Later, on 28th March, 2010 the

company started its new journey with the brand name Robi. Robi is the third

largest mobile phone operator in Bangladesh in terms of revenue and

subscribers (21.403 million as of March 2013).

Airtel Bangladesh Limited

AIRTEL Bangladesh Ltd. is a GSM-based cellular operator in Bangladesh.

Airtel Bangladesh is the sixth mobile phone carrier to enter the Bangladesh

market, and launched commercial operations on May 10, 2007. Warid

Telecom International LLC, an Abu Dhabi based consortium, sold a majority

70% stake in the company to India's Bharti Airtel Limited for US$300 million.

Bharti Airtel Limited will take management control brand from 20 December

2010. The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission approved

the deal on Jan 4, 2010. Airtel Bangladesh had 7.472 million subscribers as

of March 2013.

Pacific Bangladesh Telecom Limited

Citycell (Pacific Bangladesh Telecom Limited) is the first mobile

communications company of Bangladesh. It is the only CDMA network

operator in the country. As of 1 March, 2008, Citycell's total mobile

subscriber base is 1.56 million, up 137 per cent or 680,000 from two years

ago, giving it the best growth rate of the company till date. Citycell is

currently owned by Singtel with 45% stake and the rest 55% owned by Pacific

Group and Far East Telecom. By the end of 2007 Citycell had refurbished its

old brand identity and introduced a new logo and corporate identity; the new

logo is very reminiscent of the old logo. However the slogan has remained

unchanged "Because we care". Citycell had 1.451 million subscribers as of

March 2013.

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Teletalk Bangladesh Limited

TeleTalk (Teletalk Bangladesh Ltd) is a GSM based state-owned mobile phone

company in Bangladesh. TeleTalk started operating on 29 December, 2004. It

is a Public Limited Company of Bangladesh Government, the state-owned

telephone operator. TeleTalk provide GPRS internet connectivity. Teletalk is

the first operator in the country that gave BTTB (BTCL) incoming facility to

its subscribers . The mission statement of TeleTalk is “Desher Taka Deshey

Rakhun” (“Keep your Money in your Country”). TeleTalk is the 6th largest

mobile phone operator in Bangladesh with 1.831 million subscribers as of

March 2013. Teletalk is the first mobile operator who serve 3rd generation

network service in Bangladesh.

Total Mobile Phone Active subscribers at the end of March 2013:

GrameenPhone Ltd. (GP): Approximately 40.33 million or 4 core

43 lakh 30 thousand subscribers .

Banglalink Digital Communication Limited; previously

Orascom Telecom Bangladesh Limited: Approximately 25.921

million or 2 core 59 lakh 21 thousand subscribers .

Robi Axiata Limited (Robi): Approximately 21.403 million or 2

core 14 lakh 3 thousand subscribers .

Airel Bangladesh Limited (Airtel): Approximately 7.472 million

or 74 lakh 72 thousand subscribers .

Pacific Bangladesh Telecom Limited (Citycell): Approximately

1.451 million or 14 lakh 51 thousand

Teletalk Bangladesh Ltd. (TeleTalk): Approximately 1.831

million or 18 lakh 31 thousand.

N.B. Total Number of subscribers is: Approximately 99.871 million or 9

core 98 lakh 71 thousand.

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4.2 SWOT analysis

SWOT analysis is a structured planning method used to evaluate

the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats involved in

a project or in a business venture.

Setting the objective should be done after the SWOT analysis has been

performed. This would allow achievable goals or objectives to be set for the

organization.

Strengths: characteristics of the business or project that

give it an advantage over others

Weaknesses: are characteristics that place the team at a

disadvantage relative to others

Opportunities: elements that the project could exploit to

its advantage

Threats: elements in the environment that could cause

trouble for the business or project

Identification of SWOTs is important because they can inform later steps

in planning to achieve the objective.

41%

26%

22%

8%

1% 2%

Operator

GP

Banglalink

Robi

Airtel

Citycell

TeleTalk

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4.2.1 SWOT analysis of GrameenPhone

SWOT stands for Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, and Threat. This is a very

important tool for a company to analyze its internal and external

environment.

Strengths Good Owner Structure

Market Leader

Network Availability Brand Name of Grameen Image

Financial Soundness

Skilled Human Resource

Effective Support Organization

Access to the Widest Rural Network through

Grameen Bank

High Ethical Standard

Weaknesses Culture Gap

Complicated Pricing Structure

Incomplete Messages through Promotional Activities

Problem Contained Offers

Different Departments are not working together

Opportunities Economic Growth of Bangladesh

New and Better Interconnect Agreement

Huge Demand for Telecom Services

Increased Intentional Activities in Bangladesh

Declining Prices for Handsets

New International Gateway

Flexibility of Mobile Phone

Threats More Rigid Government Regulations

Upgraded Technology Used by Competitors

Political Instability

Devaluation of Taka

Risky Position of Valuable Resource

Non‐co‐operation of Government for the Revenue of

BTTB

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4.2.2 SWOT analysis of GrameenPhone Internet service SOWT analysis of GrameenPhone Internet service is given below:

Strengths Market Leader for Internet service

Network Availability Brand Name of Grameen Image

Financial Soundness

Skilled Human Resource

Skilled Network work force

Effective Support Organization

Access to the Widest Rural Network through Grameen

Bank

High Ethical Standard

Weaknesses Everyone don‟t know to access with internet

Complicated Pricing Structure

Incomplete Messages through Promotional Activities

Problem Contained Offers

Opportunities Economic Growth of Bangladesh

Online freelancing works is growing rapidly

New and Better Interconnect Agreement

WiFi connection introduced several areas

Huge Demand for Internet Services

Declining Prices for Smart Handsets

Flexibility of Internet access based Mobile Phone

Threats More Rigid Government Regulations

Upgraded Technology (Like 3G) Used by Competitors

Political Instability

Devaluation of Taka

Non‐co‐operation of Government for the Revenue of BTRC

4.3 Job Description In my three months and ten days journey in GrameenPhone I go

through different type of responsibilities. I was assigned for product

development team of I&BB (internet and broadband) department under

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commercial division of grameenPhone. At the very first week I go

through introducing with my supervisor, my team members &

collogue. My job is started from week two. As I was in product

development team, my basic responsibility there was to collect

different types of information for the different new projects. I put that

information on PowerPoint or sometimes in the excl according to my

supervisor requirements. My supervisor assigned me to collect some

information on different topic, different products or services, based

on that information they may come to launch any new product for the

I&BB. Some list of works what I have done in my internship period are

given bellow.

Excel on roadmap of I&BB

Power point on roadmap of I&BB

Worked on telenor in Europian & Asian market

Presentation on company analysis of Banglalink

Presentation on company analysis of Robi

Presentation on company analysis of airtel

Presentation on adsense & adword‟s value chain, cash flow.

(also gave presentation on it)

Worked on Google, yahoo, facebook & twitters ad rates

Moreover beside this I also worked on customer service department to

have a survey on small screen packages. I have one to one conversation

directly through over phone with the subscribers . So this is basically what I

have done in GrameenPhone over three month.

4.4 Specific responsibilities of the Job The basic job of product development team is-

Project management

product launch roadmap preparation and Coordination

Coordination of Research work

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Chapter 5

Analysis on Current

Internet Package &

Findings

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5.1 Current data service offered by GrameenPhone

When-ever, where-ever you want to get online to access the internet,

GrameenPhone has got the coverage & right solutions that will suit you.

Whether you are searching for information or looking for entertainment &

social networking on your phone or a laptop/personal computer we have the

right packages & devices to cater to your needs.

Internet is the most convenient medium of information, through which

people can enhance their knowledge, spread the same from one corner of

the globe to whichever place they wish with a single click.

Communication solutions developed by GrameenPhone across all the media

have always focused one single thing – to help people stay close to their dear

ones and to enlighten their lives through free and flawless access to

information. GrameenPhone internet is another step towards fulfilling this

goal.

With this step, GrameenPhone so far brought Internet to people in the

following ways:

Desktop and Laptop browsing: by using the mobile as modem or by

internet modem.

Mobile screen browsing: WAP/internet browsing on the mobile.

GrameenPhone is looking to expand further into the digital world by

expanding its internet platforms and developing more internet related

products, thus becoming the biggest Internet Service Provider of Bangladesh.

Internet Package for Mobile handset browsing:

GrameenPhone offers the most affordable internet packages for handset

browsing. Packages are given below:

Minipack Pay Per use

Pay as you go

Minipack 1MB with 2MMS for 2 Days validity

Minipack 3MB with 3MMS for 7 Days validity

Minipack 15MB for 15 Days validity

Minipack 99MB for 15 Days validity

1GB Package for 30 Days validity

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Internet Package for Laptop/PC browsing:

GrameenPhone has several internet packages considering the volume needs

of wide range of users. Packages are given below:

Heavy Internet browsing package for 30 Days validity

Night Time Heavy Internet browsing Package for 30 Days validity

Daily 150MB Package

3GB Package for 30 Days validity

1 GB Package for 30 Days validity

Smart Plan

GrameenPhone brings in an unique new offer that will enable you to get

UNINTERRUPTED internet, Talk time, SMS, and MMS in a single pack. With

three different packs at three different prices offering a range of talktime,

SMS, and MMS volumes – Grameenphone‟s new “Smartplan” is the ultimate

solution to all. Details of GrameenPhone Smart Plan are provided below:

WiFi Zone

GrameenPhone in collaboration with its partner IT Connect Ltd has launched

WiFi service in selected areas of Dhaka city. This great initiative enables any

GrameenPhone customers staying inside the designated WiFi Blue

Zone area to use high-speed WiFi internet service from their WiFi enable

Smart devices.

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The Data pack of WiFi is given below:

Pack 1: 20 MB for 24 Hours

Pack 2: 70 MB for 24 Hours

Pack 3: 150 MB for 24 Hours

Name and location of WiFi zone is given below:

5.2 Internet Packages

Internet Packages are given below

Minipack Pay Per use is for only prepaid subscribers where

Internet usage is chargeable at BDT 0.02/KB up to a maximum of

BDT 20/Day, between 12am-11.59pm daily. Fair Usage Policy is

applicable after crossing 10 MB usage for that day.

* Fair Usage Policy is applicable.

Page|30

Pay as you go is a pay-as-you-go offer which is applicable for Post

Paid subscribers only. For every kilobyte (KB) of data browsed,

subscribers are charged BDT 0.02(excluding VAT). GrameenPhone

recommended that Smart phone (e.g. Apple Iphones, Android

handsets like Samsung Galaxy, HTC or Windows phones) users take

the Minipack 99MB and above.

Minipack 1MB with 2MMS for 2 Days validity is an Internet

Combo pack both for Pre-paid and Postpaid customers with 2MB

free data and 2 MMS (GP-GP) at BDT 2.50 (+15% VAT) with 2 days

validity. If 2MB data gets expired before the expiration of the

validity of 2 days, customer will still be able to enjoy internet at

BDT 0.01/10KB without VAT and can continue browsing, along with

the 2 MMS.

Minipack 3MB with 3MMS for 7 Days validity is an Internet

Combo pack both for Pre-paid and Postpaid customers with 3MB

Data and 3 MMS (GP-GP) at BDT 9 (+15% VAT) with 7 days validity.

If the 3 MB data gets expired before the expiration of validity of 7

days, subscriber will still be able to enjoy internet at BDT

0.01/10KB without VAT and can continue browsing, along with the

3 MMS. Similarly, if 3 MMS is used up before expiration validity of 7

days, the data amount will be available till the expiration date.

Minipack 15MB for 15 Days validity is an internet offer for both

Post-paid & Pre-paid subscribers with data browsing/downloading

capacity up to 15MB @ BDT 29 (+VAT). This package has duration

of 15 days starting from the date of activation. After expiration of

15MB, subscribers will be charged as BDT 0.01/10KB without VAT.

Minipack 99MB for 15 Days validity: is an internet offer for both

Post-paid & Pre-paid subscribers with data browsing/downloading

capacity up to 99MB @ BDT 99 (+VAT). After expiration of 99 MB ,

subscribers will be charged as BDT 0.01/10KB without VAT.

1GB Package for 30 Days validity is an internet offer of 1 GB per

month @ BDT 300+VAT. The package has a validity of 30 days

(from the date of activation). After expiration of 1 GB, subscribers

will be charged as BDT 0.01/10KB without VAT.

Heavy Internet browsing package for 30 Days validity: P2 is a

large screen internet package designed for heavy browsing by

Page|31

advanced users with 30 day validity, monthly charge is BDT 850.

Prepaid: When a subscriber activates EDGE P2, the auto-renewal

feature becomes active by default. But for successful execution,

subscriber needs to have sufficient balance (BDT 850+VAT) in

his/her account. If the subscriber does not have sufficient balance,

then EDGE P2 will be deactivated (applicable for prepaid) and the

subscriber has to activate P2 again to use it after recharging. If any

subscriber does not want to have this "Auto-Renewal" feature,

he/she can Type'OFF' and send SMS to 5000. If he/she wants to

resume the service, then he/she has to type 'ON' and send SMS

to 5000.

Postpaid: When a subscriber activates EDGE P2, the auto-renewal

feature becomes active by default. But subscriber cannot deactivate

or reactivate this "Auto-Renewal" feature on his own. Daily charging

is applicable for subscribing P2 in Postpaid. Up-front charging will

be applicable for the remaining days in case anyone cancels their

P2 subscription before the end of the validity period. Thus, if a P2

customer sends cancellation request within the validity period,

system will check the credit limit and will charge up-front for the

remaining period. In case of lack of available credit limit, the

system will not accept the cancellation request.

* Fair Usage Policy is applicable after 5 GB usage. As per FUP,

speed will be throttled down to 24 kbps during the remaining

validity period. Normal speed will be restored in next bill cycle or

activation. You will receive SMS when FUP will be enforced after

crossing 5GB.

Night Time Heavy Internet browsing Package for 30 Days

validity: P3 is a large screen internet package designed for heavy

browsing by advanced users during night time, with 30 day validity,

monthly charge is BDT 250+VAT.

* Fair Usage Policy is applicable after 5 GB usage. As per FUP,

speed will be throttled down to 24 kbps during the remaining

validity period. Normal speed will be restored in next bill cycle or

activation. You will receive SMS when FUP will be enforced after

crossing 5GB.

Daily 150MB Package: is for prepaid subscribers only. Subscribers

can enjoy the service from 12:00AM to 11:59PM (within a day) with

150MB data usage limit in a day and daily charge is BDT 60+VAT.

Page|32

From 12:00 AM of the next day, EDGE P4 will be deactivated and the

subscriber needs to activate any other package if he/she wants to

use Internet.

3GB Package for 30 Days validity is an internet offer of 3 GB per

month @ BDT 700+VAT. The package has a validity of 30 days

(from the date of activation). After expiration of 3 GB, subscribers

will be charged as BDT 0.01/10KB without VAT.

1 GB Package for 30 Days validity is an internet offer of 1 GB per

month @ BDT 300+VAT. The package has a validity period of 30

days from the date of activation. After expiration of 1 GB,

subscriber will be charged as BDT 0.01/10KB without VAT.

WiFi Package details is given below:

5.3 Survey Findings

In order to analyze the internet services of GrameenPhone a series of

questions were asked to the customers with the help of a questionnaire, the

data from these questions are tabulated below. As already mentioned, the

survey was conducted among 50 GrameenPhone internet subscribers and

non subscribers; it was conducted in three way direct appointment, over

telephone and with the help of email.

I asked total fifteen question & also question to 50 respondent. But, specially

19 respondents were taken as GrameenPhone internet user. With those

answer of the customers I‟ve conducted my analysis part.

Here the main objective is to analyze the current status of GrameenPhone

internet packages.

Page|33

Do you like mobile internet offered by mobile operators?

Frequency Percentage

Yes 33 66%

No 17 34%

Interpretation

From the table it can be seen that maximum respondents like to use mobile

internet which offered by Mobile operators. Here 66% respondents are says

like mobile internet and 34% does not like mobile internet.

66%

34%

Mobile Internet

Yes

No

Page|34

Which operator’s internet service you use?

Frequency Percentage

GrameenPhone 19 38%

Banglalink 9 18%

Airtel 6 12%

Robi 11 22%

Citycell 4 8%

Teletalk 1 2%

Interpretation

From the table it can be seen that maximum respondents using

GrameenPhone‟s internet service. Here 38% respondents using

GrameenPhone for internet, 22% is use Robi for internet and 18% is

Banglalink, 12% is Airtel, 8% is Citycell and Teletalk is only 2%.

38%

18%

12%

22%

8%

2%

Mobile Internet Service Provider

GrameenPhone

Banglalink

Airtel

Robi

Citycell

Teletalk

Page|35

Which operator’s internet service is best in your view?

Frequency Percentage

GrameenPhone 27 54%

Banglalink 7 14%

Airtel 3 6%

Robi 9 18%

Citycell 3 6%

Teletalk 1 2%

Interpretation

From the table it can be seen that among 50 respondents, 27 says that

GrameenPhone is best for internet service. And its percentage is 54% and the

other operators are below 20%.

54%

14%

6%

18%

6%2%

Best Internet Service Provider

GrameenPhone

Banglalink

Airtel

Robi

Citycell

Teletalk

Page|36

Which operator has fewer problems during internet browsing?

Frequency Percentage

GrameenPhone 35 70%

Banglalink 8 16%

Airtel 1 2%

Robi 3 6%

Citycell 2 4%

Teletalk 1 2%

Interpretation

From the table it can be seen that 35 respondents says GrameenPhone

has fewer problems during internet browsing. And the other operators have

many problems during internet browsing. Banglalink is 16%, Robi is 6%,

Citycell is 4% and Airtel and Teletalk is only 2%.

70%

16%

2%

6%

4% 2%

Fewer Problem

GrameenPhone

Banglalink

Airtel

Robi

Citycell

Teletalk

Page|37

How much you like GrameenPhone for internet browsing?

Frequency Percentage

Very much 32 64%

So-so 11 22%

Low demandable 7 14%

Not demandable 0 0%

Interpretation

Here 32 people like GrameenPhone for internet. And the other people

are not like GrameenPhone for internet. 64% is very much like

GrameenPhone internet.

64%

22%

14%0%

How much you like

Very much

Soso

Low demandable

Not demandable

Page|38

How much the GrameenPhone internet service is demandable for

market?

Frequency Percentage

Very much 43 86%

So-so 6 12%

Low demandable 1 2%

Not demandable 0 0%

Interpretation

From the table maximum respondents says that GrameenPhone internet is

demandable in market. 86% respondents are says GrameenPhone internet is

demandable in market, 12% says its demand is so-so and 2% is says it is low

demandable.

86%

12%

2%

0%

Matket Demand

Very much

Soso

Low demandable

Not demandable

Page|39

Through which media you use GP internet more

Frequency Percentage

Mobile screen 15 78.95%

Modem with PC/Laptop 4 21.05%

Interpretation

From the table it can be seen that maximum respondents use mobile

screen for GrameenPhone internet. Here 15 people is use mobile for

GrameenPhone internet, 4 subscriber use PC/Laptop for using

GrameenPhone internet by modem and 7 subscriber use both device for

using GrameenPhone internet.

79%

21%

Used Media

Mobile screen

Modem with PC/Laptop

Page|40

Which package you use more?

Frequency Percentage

Mini pack 0 0%

Pay as you go 0 0%

Heavy internet pack 6 31.58%

Daily pack 3 15.79%

Monthly pack 9 47.37%

WiFi 1 5.26%

Interpretation

From the above table maximum respondents are using

GrameenPhone‟s Monthly pack. Here 47.37% respondents are chosen

Monthly pack, 31.58% respondents are use Heavy internet pack, and 15.79%

respondents are use Daily pack and only 5.26% use WiFi.

0%

0%

32%

16%

47%

5%

Highly Used Package

Mini pack

Pay as you go

Heavy internet pack

Daily pack

Monthly pack

WiFi

Page|41

Do you satisfy with GP internet?

Frequency Percentage

Yes 9 47.37%

No 10 52.63%

Interpretation

Here from the table maximum users are not satisfied with GrameenPhone

internet. Here 52.63% respondents are not satisfied with this and 47.37%

respondents are satisfied with GrameenPhone internet.

Why you dissatisfy with GP’s internet?

Dissatisfaction causes for GrameenPhone internet are Low Cost, Small size

data packages and Low Speed.

47%

53%

Satisfaction

Yes

No

Page|42

How would you rate the overall experience of using GP internet

service?

Frequency Percentage

Very good 13 68.42%

Good 5 26.32%

Moderate 1 5.26%

Bad 0 0%

Very bad 0 0%

Interpretation

From the table maximum respondents overall experience of using

GrameenPhone internet service is very good and rest respondents are good

and moderate. Here 68.42% respondents are experience is very good, 26.32%

is good and 5.26% is moderate.

69%

26%

5% 0%0%

Experience of Using Internet

Very good

Good

Moderate

Bad

Very bad

Page|43

How many times you face problem using GP internet?

Frequency Percentage

Every time 0 0%

Maximum time 0 0%

Several time 3 15.79%

Sometime 16 84.21%

Interpretation

Here from the table maximum respondents face problem sometime

when they using GrameenPhone internet. 84.21% subscriber face problem

sometime and 15.79% face problem several time.

0%0%

16%

84%

Problem in GP Internet

Every time

Maximum time

Several time

Sometime

Page|44

What is your experience about GP internet speed?

Frequency Percentage

Very good 10 52.63%

Good 4 21.05%

Moderate 2 10.53%

Bad 3 15.79%

Very bad 0 0%

Interpretation

Maximum respondents experience is very good about GrameenPhone

internet speed. 52.63% respondents experience is very good, 21.05% is good,

15.79% is bad and 10.53% is moderate.

53%

21%

10%

16%

0%

Experience About Speed

Very good

Good

Moderate

Bad

Very bad

Page|45

How would you rate your experience in case of the cost of the

GrameenPhone internet?

Frequency Percentage

Very good 0 0%

Good 0 0%

Moderate 3 15.79%

Bad 13 68.42%

Very bad 3 15.79%

Interpretation

Maximum respondents experience about cost of internet data package

is bad. Here 68.42% respondents experience is bad and the other

respondents are moderate and very bad experience about cost of

GrameenPhone internet data service.

0% 0%

16%

68%

16%

Experience About Cost

Very good

Good

Moderate

Bad

Very bad

Page|46

How would you rate your expectation on different internet packages

offered by GrameenPhone?

Frequency Percentage

Very good 0 0%

Good 2 10.53%

Moderate 13 68.42%

Bad 4 21.05%

Very bad 0 0%

Interpretation

Here from the table maximum respondent‟s expectation on different

GrameenPhone internet package is moderate. 68.42% respondent‟s

expectation is moderate, 21.05% is bad and 10.53% is good.

0%

11%

68%

21%

0%

Expectation

Very good

Good

Moderate

Bad

Very bad

Page|47

Chapter 6

Conclusion

&

Recommendation

Page|48

6.1 Recommendation

Mobile Operator Company should promote about the advantages of

mobile internet service in all areas.

To increase subscriber GrameenPhone need to promote internet

packages more.

GrameenPhone should introduce faster internet packages.

GrameenPhone should Introduce 3G network soon for provide

better internet service.

GrameenPhone should reduce the network problems.

GrameenPhone should increase internet based promotion to make

internet service of the company more demandable.

GrameenPhone should publish advertisement to increase mobile

screen and PC/Laptop subscribers.

GrameenPhone should reduce cost of the internet packages.

GrameenPhone should reduce the cost of Monthly and Heavy

internet pack.

GrameenPhone should increase the data of Monthly and Heavy

internet pack.

GrameenPhone should increase data for mini pack data services.

GrameenPhone should increase WiFi zone based internet service to

make subscriber for WiFi based internet.

GrameenPhone should reduce cost and increase speed to make

more satisfaction from the subscribers.

6.2 Conclusion

GrameenPhone is the leading company we have already come to know it.

They are grabbing the maximum market share in the telecom industry in

Bangladesh. GrameenPhone internet is a major sector of this operator. The

organization is investing a huge amount of investment. In case of small

screen that is mobile screen GrameenPhone internet is providing a good

services but in case of modem the service is a bit disappointing. The services

should be balanced for the both case as the company has some strong

competitors in the market. It should focus a bit in this sector. Otherwise

there is a little bit of probability to hamper the brand image of

GrameenPhone.

Page|49

Reference

1. GrameenPhone website: www.grameenphone.com

2. Lecture sheets website: www.lecturesheet.com

3. GrameenPhone ltd. annual report: 2011, 2012

4. BTRC website: www.btrc.gov.bd

5. GrameenPhone investor portal: http://investor-

relations.grameenphone.com/IRPortal/Admin/PageDetails/?id=1

6. Organization structure: http://grameenphone.com/about-us/corporate-

information/corporate-governance/organization-structure

7. Internet packages: http://www.grameenphone.com/products-and-

services/internet/internet-packages

8. Roknuzzaman, M. (2006, August 10). A survey of Internet access in a

large public university in Bangladesh. International Journal of

Education and Development using ICT [Online], 2(3). Available:

http://ijedict.dec.uwi.edu/printarticle.php?id=195&layout=html

9. Japanese Journal of Administrative Science, Volume20, No.1, 2007, 43-

45.

10. Telenor website: http://www.telenor.com/about-us/telenor-at-a-

glance/

11. Banglalink website: www.banglalinkgsm.com

12. Robi website: www.robi.com.bd

13. Airtel website: www.bd.airtel.com

14. Citycell website: www.citycell.com

15. Teletalk website: www.teletalk.com.bd

Page|50 Appendix

Questioner

Do you like mobile internet offered by mobile operators?

Yes

No

Which operator’s internet service you use?

GrameenPhone

Banglalink

Airtel

Robi

Citycell

Teletalk

Which operator’s internet service is best in your view?

GrameenPhone

Banglalink

Airtel

Robi

Citycell

Teletalk

Which operator has fewer problems during internet browsing?

GrameenPhone

Banglalink

Airtel

Robi

Citycell

Teletalk

Page|51

How much you like GrameenPhone for internet browsing?

Very much

So-so

Low demandable

Not demandable

How much the GrameenPhone internet service is demandable

for market?

Very much

So-so

Low demandable

Not demandable

For GrameenPhone internet users:

Through which media you use GP internet more?

Mobile screen

Modem with PC/Laptop

Which package you use more?

Mini pack

Pay as you go

Heavy internet pack

Daily pack

Monthly pack

WiFi

Do you satisfy with GP internet?

Yes

No

Why you dissatisfy with GP’s internet?

Page|52

How would you rate the overall experience of using GP

internet service?

Very good

Good

Moderate

Bad

Very bad

How many times you face problem using GP internet?

Every time

Maximum time

Several time

Sometime

What is your experience about GP speed?

Very good

Good

Moderate

Bad

Very bad

How would you rate your experience in case of the cost of the

GrameenPhone internet?

Very good

Good

Moderate

Bad

Very bad

How would you rate your expectation on different internet

packages offered by GrameenPhone?

Very good

Good

Moderate

Bad

Very bad

The End