Telenor keen to invest in preparing Bangladesh for AI: CEO

Telenor is keen to work with the Bangladesh government and stakeholders in digitalising the nation and society that should be prepared for AI just like the other markets where Telenor rolled out 5G networks.

Following 27 years of growth from the voice and data business, Telenor now eyes the next growth wave of the telecom market in Bangladesh that should come from data and data-driven services and it counts on the leapfrogging opportunity in the country offering the "Smart Bangladesh vision", he said.

"Amid confusion, regarding if mobile phones would remain concentrated among the rich people at the top, or could be affordable to the masses, Telenor took the bet and dived for the second one 27 years ago and now almost everyone has a mobile phone in the country."

Now his team is taking another bet for the next one or two decades – "Can we digitise Bangladesh? Can we make people use data here? – not only for using Facebook or browsing, but also using more data and data-enabled services," said Brekke, who came to Dhaka to celebrate the 27th anniversary of GP alongside his 25 years with Telenor.

Still around half of the mobile phone users in the country are not using mobile internet as they do not own a smartphone and Brekke said the industry and government should work together to make smartphones more affordable, especially when the world is moving towards utilising artificial intelligence (AI).

"I think Bangladesh without much technological legacies has a chance to leapfrog, unlike many other countries taking years to go step by step," he said, adding that people are so data hungry in the country.

"It is up to us to give them data and internet data-based services that are useful for consumers, businesses, and also for the government sectors."

GP, itself using AI for operational efficiencies, and launching eight IoT (Internet of Things) products last year now eyes playing bigger roles in connecting people, businesses, factories and government with its new technologies and new services, the Telenor CEO said.

A "perfect storm" is coming with the rise of AI and every business will be impacted by the vast technological interconnection of people, devices, businesses and activities, Brekke said, adding that Telenor is keen to work with the government and stakeholders in digitalising the nation and society that should be prepared for AI just like the other markets that Telenor rolled out 5G networks.

"For instance, in Malaysia Telenor's venture CelcomDigi equipped so many machines at the port with a 5G SIM to let them work more efficiently driven by AI. Or, in Telenor's home country Norway, AI-driven airport operations depend on its 5G connection."

Alongside those factories, hospitals and government offices in Bangladesh can utilise AI and GP, as the largest foreign investor in the country can play a big role in supporting the future economy, Brekke said.

About the potential of 5G connectivity, he, however, said consumers using 4G internet in their smartphones have nothing much to enjoy from 5G, which instead would bring the change in industrial usage of internet connectivity for smart operations, he said.

Telenor looks for sufficient usage cases before investing in 5G rollout in Bangladesh, he added.

However, as the largest foreign investor in Bangladesh with nearly Tk50,000 crore in cumulative investments and a cumulative contribution of Tk1,18,000 crore to the national exchequer till the end of 2023, Telenor feels that it will need to continue its investments in upgrading its network and technologies for improved customer experiences, Brekke said.

For instance, GP sought for new spectrum so that it could give people indoor data experiences and he praised the recent regulatory developments like the issuance of a unified licence to let carriers use any spectrum and technology for the best of the customers.

"I think Bangladesh without much technological legacies has a chance to leapfrog, unlike many other countries taking years to go step by step."

Sigve Brekke, CEO, Telenor

Being asked about the regulatory environment and doing business in the country, the Telenor CEO said, "Doing business in Bangladesh is good in the sense that we can make money here."

He also said, "When we work in a country we look at two things – we need to make money for our shareholders and to empower societies. We want to be a part of growing societies. In Bangladesh, we have both – making money and making a difference and helping societies.

"After discussion with the regulators for years, the fixed wireless access or the wireless broadband service brought big opportunities for us with the unified licences.

"We have a very important role in digitising this country, if we can together with the government and businesses figure out how we can take full advantage of AI and new technologies, I see a big opportunity here to continue to grow for our sake and also to leapfrog in overcoming challenges."

On the regulatory issues developing from time to time – audit claims, SMP restrictions, and ban on selling new SIM, the Telenor CEO said it respects the regulatory efforts to ensure that operators are compliant and the country is heading in the right direction.

Citing the "SIM ban in 2022 was unfair," he said both GP and Telenor, during dialogues with the regulator, communicated their disagreement.

Holding dialogues is the solution to the frictions with regulators and it should be two-way ones, said Brekke.

About the deteriorating relationship between the government and Telenor's Bangladeshi partner Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus and the not-profit company Grameen Telecom he founded to own 34.2% GP shares, Brekke said we have read the news and Telenor is not a part of it as its management focus on its own job to serve the customers, make money for shareholders and bring the impact on the society.