WiMax service likely in city from mid-October

DHAKA, Bangladesh, Aug 26 (BSS) -

The broadband wireless internet service WiMax is likely to be launched in the city from the second week of October.

Banglalion Communication Ltd, one of the two companies that obtained WiMax licences, will provide the service under its `friendly test use' programme to 15 areas of the city, GM Faruk Khan, head of promotion and spokesman for Banglalion, told BSS today.

The areas included Uttara, Gulshan, Nakhalpara, Dhanmondi, Mohammadpur, Shyamoli, Elephant Road and Motijheel. The people of these areas will get free internet service for one month, Faruk said.

"We are expecting that 10,000 subscribers of these areas will come under the service initially," he said.

Prior to the commercial service, Faruk said, the company will provide WiMax service to the 15 areas of the city by September 15 on an experimental basis under its `friendly test use' programme.

He said the company has completed setting up 15 base stations in these areas and the work on installation of 37 base stations is going on.

"We are also hopeful that most of the city areas will come under the WiMax network by December this year," Faruk said.

He also hoped that all districts of the country would be brought under WiMax service by 2010.

The WiMax (Worldwide Interoperability of Microwave Access), a 4G technology, will allow the subscribers to enjoy the amazing experience of high speed internet along with data, voice and video.

WiMax is such a technology, which uses wireless transmission system in distribution information and provides the highest 46 megabyte service per second for downlink and the highest 14 megabyte per second for uplink.

Banglalion obtained the WiMax licence from Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (BTRC) in exchange for Taka 215 crore through an open auction held in September last year.

The Augure Bangladesh, which also got the WiMax licence, is also working fast to provide their service to the city areas, BTRC sources said.

[Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) Website; dated: 27 Sep 2009 08:23:33 GMT]