Abstract:
The thesis work is a collaboration between Islamic University of Technology and the leading
cellular operator of Bangladesh, Grameenphone Ltd. (Telenor) and aims to provide a thorough
technological analysis and business case comparison for different migration paths to the next
generation technology for the operator.
There has been a tremendous growth in service quality and competition among the cellular
operators and a continuous demand for network up gradation to a better and efficient cellular
technology. Worldwide 3G networks roll out began since 2000 to cater the ever increasing data
demand for mobile broadband solution. But unfortunately in Bangladesh, due to regulatory
issues, 3G technology couldn’t have been implemented till now. After so many years, The
Bangladesh Telecom Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has finished all the required ground works
and is expected to arrange a spectrum frequency auction in Q1 of 2013 where in total 5
concessions will be allocated in 2.1 Ghz band, 10 MHz each. Each concession will be a
technology neutral one. All the cellular operators of the country are expected to bid on that
auction including Grameenphone.
Technology neutrality allows the operator to choose and deploy the technology best suited for
their business. Till now (October 2012), the next generation technology LTE has been
successfully rolled out in 105 networks. So, whether to deploy 3G or go for the next generation
technology LTE bypassing 3G/UMTS remains a question any operator, in this case
Grameenphone. This thesis tries to answer this question in accordance with Bangladesh’s
cellular market perspective taking into considerations the technological aspects as well as a cost
revenue analysis done by data provided by Grameenphone Ltd. for both migration paths- 3G
(UMTS/HSPA) and LTE.
Description:
Supervised by
Mohammad Tawhid Kawser,
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering,
Islamic University of Technology, Bangladesh.
