'Bangladesh has opportunity to show that security and digital rights can go hand in hand'

As Bangladesh's digital economy enters a decisive phase, telecom policy, AI adoption and investment confidence are under sharp focus.

Jon Omund Revhaug, chairman of Grameenphone and head of Telenor Asia, discussed these matters in a recent interview with The Business Standard's Abbas Uddin Noyon. He shared his views on digital progress, regulatory reform and the country's path to a smarter future 

How would you characterise Bangladesh's digital progress in 2025?

Mobile connectivity continues to be at the heart of Bangladesh's digital transformation. From accessing online learning and financial services to managing daily tasks and staying informed, mobile technology is enabling smarter living every day for millions of people in the country. Telenor Asia's Digital Lives Decoded report "Building Trust in Bangladesh's AI Future" found that in 2025 mobile use has seen the biggest growth in remote work and managing finances.

Increasingly these everyday conveniences are powered by artificial intelligence, a technology that is rapidly reshaping how people live, work, and interact. In fact, according to the same report, 96% of Bangladeshi internet users surveyed now say they regularly use AI, up from 88% in 2024.

How is Grameenphone applying AI to improve customer experience, network quality or sustainability?

Through Grameenphone's "AI & I" programme, the company is embedding AI across its entire value chain, from network management and customer service to marketing and employee workflows delivering smarter, faster, and hyper-personalised experiences to its over 86 million customers.

Building on Telenor's experience in Norway and as a leading player in this emerging field, Grameenphone has launched the country's first enterprise-grade AI Factory, developed in partnership with CISCO and powered by NVIDIA GPU technology. Other use cases include hyper-personalised offers tailored to individual customer needs, Intelligent HR bots that enhance workplace efficiency, and AI-assisted network optimisation to ensure superior quality of service.

What regulatory or policy reforms could address any sector-specific challenges that are currently a barrier?

This year, the work done by the BTRC to publish 2025 Telecommunications Network and Licensing Policy marks a major step forward for the industry. It simplifies a complex licensing framework and opens doors for greater competition, innovation, and investment. We hope the next government will continue to build on this progress.   

As we have said before, a predictable long term spectrum roadmap and pricing strategy are also key elements in creating a stable environment for the telco industry. Bangladesh's spectrum-costs are among the highest in the world. The cost-to-revenue ratio is at 15.7%, above Asia-Pacific's 10.4% median and double the global 7.7%. Bangladesh's sector-specific taxes are also among the heaviest in the world with total taxes (including consumer levies) reaching 55% of revenue versus a global 22% average, with Grameenphone amongst the country's highest taxpayers.

Taken together the high cost of spectrum and taxation deter long-term investments, delay critical technological leaps, and hinder economic growth. Bangladesh should, in my view, urgently rationalise spectrum pricing and taxation to unleash a thriving digital economy, empowering its enthusiastic young users to seize future opportunities.  

As one of the largest foreign investors in Bangladesh, how does Telenor view the current business and regulatory climate? From your perspective, what key reforms could help further improve the ease of doing business and encourage continued foreign investment?

Telenor has been a partner for growth in Bangladesh for 28 years. We are committed to bringing global expertise and competence to support Bangladesh's connectivity and digital nation goals.

A sustainable investment environment requires long-term predictability and forward-leaning regulations to drive market growth and investor confidence. This hinges on a strong, objective regulatory framework with fair dispute resolution mechanisms and streamlined consultations that prioritise evidence-based input from industry stakeholders. Such rigour builds trust, ensures technical feasibility, and delivers balanced outcomes that reward competition and innovation over narrow interests.

Bangladesh must also put in place strong safeguards on any restriction of connectivity, backed by independent judicial and parliamentary oversight of how state agencies access communications data. Authorities should use proportionate and transparent measures to manage national security risks, instead of broad or arbitrary disruptions that undermine public trust.

Bangladesh has a high mobile penetration rate but a persistent digital skills gap. How can operators, government and industry partners better collaborate to build digital skills and trust?

Digital skills and online safety thrive through strong partnerships across the ecosystem and is a shared responsibility across many actors in the digital ecosystem. For our part, Grameenphone and Telenor work with global partners such as Unicef and Plan International to develop and deliver programs tailored to local needs which aim to make mobile users comfortable with a digital-first approach, feel safe online and enabled to participate in the digital space.

Telenor, Grameenphone and Plan International's joint initiative "Digital Inclusion for Marginalised Communities" offers a good example of such multi-stakeholder collaboration. Drawing on the strengths of all involved, the initiative has empowered more than 3.3 million people across the country through tailored digital literacy and online safety programmes. Since its launch in 2023, the initiative has enabled participants from remote and disadvantaged backgrounds to access e-commerce, essential government services, and mobile banking.

Bangladesh's youth are increasingly shaping the nation's digital future. How can telecom companies and policymakers work together to promote responsible digital empowerment while protecting users' privacy and rights online?

Young people are Bangladesh's digital future and equipping them with the right skills, from AI literacy to online safety, makes all the difference. Grameenphone has a few programmes such as Grameenphone Academy, GP Accelerator and Futurenation which deliver real impact by teaching essential digital skills and fostering online safety awareness.

At the same time, as digital threats grow, protecting users becomes more critical than ever. Indeed, this year's Digital Lives Decoded report shows concerns around security increasing by 14% compared to 2024. Progressive, and balanced, regulations are needed to ensure that security, privacy, and user rights evolve together. Bangladesh has an opportunity to show that security and digital rights can go hand in hand. Protecting people from online harms matters, as does safeguarding access to information, freedom of expression, and participation in the digital economy. 

What is your biggest hope for Bangladesh's digital economy in 2026?

Amid AI optimism in Bangladesh, I hope to see more people and businesses safely and confidently seizing digital opportunities. This demands bold forward-leaning policies now: affordable spectrum, rationalisation of telecom taxes, and stronger digital rights safeguards. This could be transformative, accelerating the voice to data shift and catapulting Bangladesh into the next level of digital growth.

If you could deliver one message to Bangladesh's policymakers, businesses and young innovators as the year closes, what would it be?

Together, let us build a digital Bangladesh where everyone has the tools, skills, and confidence to thrive!