Banglalink is going to set up 3,000 new base transceiver stations (BTSs) by the end of 2022 in order to improve its quality of service.
CEO Erik Aas said this to reporters while presenting the financial statement of this year's third quarter (July-September) of the cellular operator on Saturday.
Banglalink recorded 7.2 per cent year-on-year (YoY) growth in revenue in the third quarter despite the hurdles presented by the Covid-19 pandemic, he added.
"The operator's comparatively better infrastructure in place considering its total number of customers and other competitors paid off, and growth is the testimony."
"That is why, we are planning to set up 3,000 BTSs by the end of the next year to improve quality of service," adds Mr Aas.
Despite having 18-per cent share, the operator has 25.5-per cent spectrum share in the market.
Mr Aas says Banglalink's performance in 3Q21 is yet another reflection of its efforts to provide quality digital services in Bangladesh.
According to the statement, the operator registered Tk 12.36 billion in revenues in the July-September period.
The figure was Tk 11.53 billion for the same period last year, according to the financial.
Banglalink, for the same time frame, reported 32-per cent growth in data-driven revenue.
"Our focus on customers, combined with targeted network investments and acquisition of additional spectrum, contributed to 61.4-per cent YoY growth in our 4G customer base."
"We are serving over 11.4 million 4G users, which account for 33 per cent of our total customer base," according to the CEO.
As of July, 2021, Banglalink has a 36.5-million subscriber base of the country's 176.9-milliion total active mobile SIM users.
However, about the government's effort to launch 5G, he said this is not the right time for Bangladesh to go for the fifth-generation (5G) technology.
"5G is an ecosystem, it is nothing to do with mobile operators," Mr Aas said.
He said it would be expensive compared to investment and usage if proper ecosystem is not in place.
Erik has been serving as the CEO of the country's third-largest telecoms carrier since 2015.
He says the technology vendor is pushing for 5G, but Bangladesh is not prepared for the technology yet.
Elaborating on 5G, he says this technology means high-speed internet to the general people.
"From the technological point of view, I don't think 5G is more important to the people than having access to smartphones and digital services in the next two to three years."
He advised introducing 5G on a cluster basis, like in Chittagong port or in medical sectors.
Replying to a query, Mr Aas says the operator's entry into the capital market is the decision of shareholders.
