Executive Summary

Grameenphone(GP) is the telecommunications industry leader with investments in the dynamic

markets of Bangladesh. Experience has taught them the importance of telecommunications for
economic development. Grameenphone is committed to developing the services that best
contribute to the growth of local, regional, and national economies. Today, Grameenphone is the
largest mobile phone company in Bangladesh and market leader with more than half of the
Bangladeshi market share.
Over the years, Grameenphone has always been a pioneer in introducing new products and
services in the local market. Grameenphone was the first company to introduce GSM technology
in Bangladesh when it launched its services in March 1997. Being one of the pioneers in developing
the GSM service in Europe, Telenor has also helped to transfer this knowledge to the local
employees over the years. The technological know-how and managerial expertise of Telenor has
been instrumental in setting up such an international standard mobile phone operation in
Bangladesh.
Grameenphone was the first operator to introduce the pre-paid service in September 1999. It
established the first 24-hour Call Center, introduced value-added services such as VMS, SMS, fax
and data transmission services, international roaming service, WAP, SMS-based push-pull
services, EDGE, personal ring back tone and many other products and services.
Ownership structure
On March 26, 1997 Grameenphone launched its service on the Independence Day of Bangladesh.
After almost 14 years of operation; Grameenphone is now the leading telecommunications service
provider in the country with more than 27 million subscribers as of October 2007. Presently, there
are about 60 million telephone users in the country, of which, a little over 2 million are fixed-phone
users and the rest mobile phone subscribers. 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 sister concern of
the internationally acclaimed micro-credit pioneer Grameen Bank. The remaining 10% shares
belong to general retail and institutional investors.
The Telenor Group
More than 200 million mobile subscribers worldwide
Strong subscription growth, particularly in our Asian operations
Listed as No.1 on Dow Jones Sustainability Index 2008
Ranked as the worlds seventh largest mobile operator
Revenues 2007: NOK 105 billion
Workforce 2007: 35 800 man-years
 Listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange, with headquarters in Norway
History
November, 1996 Grameenphone was offered a cellular License in Bangladesh by the Ministry of
Posts and Telecommunications
March, 1997 launched services in Dhaka
September, 1997 Leased Railway Fiber Optic
June, 1998 Feb, 2000 Launched its services in Chittagong
March, 1999 Launched International Roaming
April, 1999 Final interconnection agreement with B.T.T.B.
September, 1999 Launched Pre-paid service of GP
October, 1999 50,000 subscribers
January, 2000 Implemented new credit policy
February, 2000 Launched its services in Sylhet
April, 2000 Launched its services in Barisal
April 2000 coverage of all six divisional cities
June, 2000 7, 50,000 subscribers.
December, 2001 Expect to achieve the coverage of the whole country
December, 2001 11,50,000 subscribers
December, 2002 Coverage 61 districts
December, 2004 Projected 21, 00,000 subscribers and 62% market share
November, 2005 50,00,000 subscribers
February, 2006 60,00,000 subscribers
November, 2006 100,00,000 Subscribers. 10 year of Operations and change of logo
May, 2007 8650 BTS covering whole Bangladesh
December, 2007 10000 BTS covering whole Bangladesh
June, 2008 200,00,000 subscribers
December, 2009 started offloading shares
August, 2003 Became the first operator in the country to reach the million subscribers
September, 2007 150,00,000 Subscribers
subscribers
Grameenphone nearly doubled its subscriber base during the initial years while the growth was
much faster during the later years. It ended the inaugural year with 18,000 customers, 30,000 by
the end of 1998, 60,000 in 1999, 193,000 in 2000, 471,000 in 2001, 775,000 in 2002, 1.16 million
in 2003, 2.4 million in 2004, 5.5 million in 2005, 10 million in 2006, 15 million in 2007, 20 million in
2008 and ended 2010 with 27 million customers.
Investments
Grameenphone is one of the largest private sector investors in the country with an accumulated
investment of BDT 16,000 crores up to April 2011. Grameenphone is also one of the largest
taxpayers in the country, having contributed nearly BDT 19,446 crore in direct and indirect taxes to
the Government Exchequer over the years.
Customer service
Grameenphones stated goal is to provide cost-effective and quality cellular services in
Bangladesh. The success of the company is dependent on customer satisfaction. Grameenphone
puts emphasis on that point and quickly succeeds to achieve huge popularity around the country.
From the very beginning, Grameenphone placed importance on providing good after-sales
services. In recent years, the focus has been to provide after-sales within a short distance from
where the customers live. It has a very good network throughout the country covering nearly all 62
districts.
Grameenphone service desk
There are now more than 800 GP Service Desks across the country covering nearly all upazilas of
62 districts. The Grameenphone Centers in all the divisional cities remain open from 8am-8pm
every day including all holidays.
The Village Phone
By bringing electronic connectivity to rural Bangladesh, Grameenphone is delivering the digital
revolution to the doorsteps of the poor and unconnected. By being able to connect to urban areas
or even to foreign countries, a whole new world of opportunity is opening up for the villagers in
Bangladesh. In addition, the Village Phone Program, also started in 1997, provides a good income-
earning opportunity to more than 210,000 mostly women Village Phone operators living in rural
areas. The Village Phone Program is a unique initiative to provide universal access to
telecommunications service in remote, rural areas. Administered by Grameen Telecom
Corporation, it enables rural people who normally cannot afford to own a telephone to avail the
service while providing the VP operators an opportunity to earn a living. The Village Phone initiative
was given the GSM in the community award at the global GSM Congress held in Cannes,
France in February 2000.
This is why Grameenphone in collaboration with Grameen bank is aiming to place one phone in
each village to contribute significantly to the economic uplifts of those villages. Grameen Phones
basic strategy is coverage of both urban and rural areas. In contrast to the island strategy followed
by some companies which involves connecting isolated island of urban coverage through
transmission link. Grameen Phone builds continuous coverage cell after cell, while the intensity of
coverage may vary from area to area depending on market conditions, the basic strategy of cell to
cell coverage is applied through-out Grameenphone network.
Community Information Center (CIC)
The Grameenphone Community Information Center (CIC) is a shared premise where rural people
may access a wide-range of state of art services such as internet, voice communications, video
 conferencing and other information services. The project of establishing CICs started in February
2006 with 16 CICs. Today it has become a massive operation with over 500 operational in nearly
450 Upazillas. Run by local entrepreneurs; the centers are equipped with PCs connected to the
Internet via the Grameenphone mobile network using EDGE technology. They provide high speed
Internet access and other information-based services in rural areas. The short-term plan of this
initiative is to establish at least one CIC in each of the 462 Upazillas. As a result, up to 15 villages
containing up to 40,000 people will be within reach of each CIC.
Grameenphone Centers
Grameenphone Centers (GPC) serves as a one stop solution for customers, with all
telecommunications products and services, under a single roof. A Grameenphone Center also sells
phones from vendors like Nokia, Samsung, Motorola and benq. EDGE/GPRS modems and
accessories such as chargers and headphones are also sold at GPCs. As of late most of the newly
opened GPCs are franchised.
Corporate responsibilities (CR)
Some of the key CR initiatives of Grameenphone are-
Safe motherhood and infant care project
Free eye care support
Awareness building on varied national issues-AIDS, National Immunization Day
Economic freedom for more than 400,000 Village Phone operators
More than 500 Community Information Centers- connecting life and learning
Sponsor of Bangladesh Special Olympics team
Employment opportunity to acid survivors
Scholarship for underprivileged meritorious students
Establishment of Blood Bank at Bogra for underprivileged patients
Emergency relief effort in natural calamities
Climate Change Program
Grameenphone being a socially responsible company adopted systematic processes to ensure
that, wherever possible, it manages and mitigates the probable negative impact of its business
activities on the environment. Grameenphones Climate Change Program was initiated in early
2008 with a vision for reducing carbon emission, being environment friendly and creating a
momentum with the community and the people. The ambition of the program is:
To become the leading corporate company in climate initiatives in Bangladesh within 2015
Reduce 15% carbon emission by 2012 and 40% by 2015
Create momentum with community and people
Corporate transformation: Green Company
Aware-Engage-Advocacy GP employees
Sponsorship
 Grameenphone engages in sponsorship to deliver its brand promise and to create mutual benefits
for its partners. Grameenphone has been relentlessly supporting different organizations through
sponsorships to preserve and glorify the national heritage and patronize the potential developing
sectors of Bangladesh. Some sponsorship activities are:
Partner of Bangladesh Cricket Board, the national team
Cricket academy
Football
Golf
Tennis
Weight Lifting
National Art Exhibition
Zainul-Quamrul International Childrens Painting Competition
Rabindro Utshob
National Poets Birth Anniversary
Tree Plantation Movement
Police week
Acid survivors welfare
Anti Drug Movement
Bengali new year
Slogan
A connection exists between every person regardless of the distance that separates. And each
person is designed to seek out those connections, to stay in touch. Grameenphone serves as that
correlating string that connects thousands of people across the country, across the world. It makes
the daunting physicality of distance and time trivial. And thus it brings people together, holding their
dreams and hopes, joys and sorrows, helping them to stay close which is the slogan of
Grameenphone.
Vision
This means that we help our customers get the full benefit of communications services in their
daily lives by making it easy to buy and use our services, delivering on our promises, being
respectful of differences and inspiring people both inside and outside the company to reach higher
goals.
Mission statement
Grameenphone Ltd. aims at providing reliable, widespread, convenient mobile and cost effective
telephone services to the people in Bangladesh irrespective of where they live. Such services will
also help Bangladesh keep pace with other countries including those in South Africa region and
reduce the existing disparity in telecom services between urban and rural areas. Coming to
Grameenphones mission statement, it is: To be the leading telecommunication service
provider in the country with satisfied customers, shareholders and enthusiastic
employees. If we analyze this mission statement we realize that Grameenphone wants to be the
market leader in the mobile telecommunication business of Bangladesh. This implies that they also
consider BTCL as their competitor and they want to keep a win-win situation for their customer,
shareholders and employees.
The Purpose
Grameenphone Ltd. has a dual purpose to receive an economic return on its investments and to
contribute to the economic development of Bangladesh where telecommunications can play a
critical role. This is why Grameenphone, in collaboration with Grameen Bank, is aiming to place
one phone in each village to contribute significantly to the economic uplift of those villages.
The Strategy
The basic strategy of Grameenphone Ltd. is for the overall coverage of both urban and rural areas.
It continues coverage, cell after cell, with an intention to bring the whole country under its network.
Though the priority of the intensity of coverage varies from area to area, the basic strategy of cell-
to-cell coverage is applied through the whole country. Presently it has network coverage in 62
districts around the country including all six divisional headquarters, with 10,000 base stations in
operation.
The People
The young, dedicated and energetic employees have made the enormous growth of
Grameenphone possible. All the employees know in their hearts that Grameenphone is more than
a phone. This genuine sense of purpose gives them the dedication and the determination of
producing the biggest coverage and the highest subscriber base in the country. The talents and
the energy of its people are among the keys of both of its core and distinctive competencies.
Grameenphone knows it well and treats its employees accordingly.
Base stations
Any cellular operator has an Operation and Maintenance department which is responsible for
making cellular network available for 24 hours. Grameenphone has built the largest cellular network
in the country with over 10,000 base stations in more than 5,700 locations. To face the huge
competition at telecom industry by rival other 5 mobile operators Grameenphone may have to
increase her base stations to comply with consumers needs. To keep the status of the current
market leader in future, Grameenphone has to keep her service standard to the customer
satisfaction level. To meet that the quality of new on air base station has to be top class.
Network
 Grameenphone built a healthy and robust infrastructure in terms of telecommunication network
which is expanded at a record pace every year as well. The Radio in terms of coverage and
capacity, Transmission and Switching network in terms of number of base station, connecting
transmission line, switching system (MSC) and so on.
Switching Network
The switching capacity has been strengthened with 27 Mobile switching centers 42 Base Station
Controller and other equipments added to in 08 divisional cities. Grameenphone is also offering a
different type of services to the valued subscribers continuously by deploying different service
equipment SMSC, VMSC, EDGE and so on.
Transmission Network
Bangladesh is located at the Ganges delta basin so the landscape of Bangladesh is dominated by
the rivers and channel. Therefore an important part of the infrastructure is based on radio resources
(Microwave Links) owned by Grameenphone. Grameenphone built a strong infrastructure by taking
lease dark fibers from the Bangladesh Railway around 2000 km. The second tier backbone covers
approximate 1200 km of new fiber optic cable was laid apart from leased optical fiber from
Bangladesh Railway to enhance the capacity and to ensure higher redundancy in transmission
end.
Radio Network
It has built the largest network with the widest coverage. Presently, nearly 100% percent of
population has now been brought under the coverage of the GP network, which covers more than
450 Upazilas of 62 districts. Almost 10,000 base stations are operating around the country.
The Result
By bringing electronic connectivity to rural Bangladesh, Grameenphone is delivering the digital
revolution to the doorsteps of the poor and unconnected. By being able to connect to urban areas
or even to foreign countries, a whole new world of opportunity is opening up for the villagers in
Bangladesh. Grameen Bank borrowers who provide the services are uplifting their services
economically through a new means of income generation while at the same time providing valuable
phone services to their fellow villagers. The telephone is a weapon against poverty. The subscriber
base of GP continues to grow at a healthy pace.
Awards and recognition:
GSM in the community award by GSMA in 2000
Best Joint Venture Enterprise of the Year award at Bangladesh Business Awards in 2002
Commonwealth Innovation Award in 2003
Best use of Mobile for Social and Economic Development category in 3GSMA Global Mobile
Award,2006
 Best use of Mobile for Social and Economic Development category in 3GSMA Global Mobile
Award,2007
Best Brand Award by Brand Forum in 2007
First Telecom Asia Awards 2008 Asian Telecom Innovation of the Year
Best use of Mobile for Social and Economic Development category in 3GSMA Global Mobile
Award,2008
Grameenphone and Huawei for Building a Greener Mobile Network
Best Brand Communication for 2009
Behind the Success Story
Grameenphone Largest Network Coverage
Districts 64 out of 64
Indoor and Highway Coverage
Widest Distribution and Reach:
Grameenphone Centre 82
Community Information Center-500
Network Service- covers almost 100% of the countrys population
Base Stations-10,000
Roaming Partners- 118 Countries.
Conclusion
Grameenphone believes in services, a service that leads to good business and good
developments. Telephony helps people work together raising their productivity. This gain in
productivity is development, which in turn enables them to afford a telephone service; generating
a good business thus development and business go together.
grameenphone : at a glance
Type Limited
Industry Mobile Telecommunication
Founded 1997
Headquarters GPHOUSE, Basundhara, Baridhara, Dhaka-1229, Bangladesh.
Key people Tore Johnsen, CEO
Products Telephony, EDGE, GSM
Revenue 891Million USD
Net income 6,403.8 Million Taka
Parent Telenor 55.8%, Grameen Telecom 34.2% & Public 10%
Website www.grameenphone.com
Grameenphone (Bengali: ) (DSE: GP,[4] CSE: GP[5]), widely abbreviated as GP, is the
leading telecommunications service provider in Bangladesh. With more than 54.5 million subscribers
and 46.3% subscriber market share (as of August 2016),[6]Grameenphone is the largest mobile
phone operator in the country. It is a joint venture between Telenor and Grameen Telecom
Corporation, a non-profit sister concern of the microfinance organisation and community
development bank Grameen Bank. Telenor, the largest telecommunications company in Norway,
owns a 55.8% share of Grameenphone, Grameen Telecom owns 34.2% and the remaining 10% is
publicly held.[2]
Grameenphone was the first company to introduce GSM technology in Bangladesh, and built the
first cellular network to cover 99% of the country.[7]