Grameenphone

On 16 November 2006, Grameenphone officially changed its logo to match its parent company Telenor's logo.

• GPay is a service to enable users to pay their utility bills through mobile.[12]
• Ekhanei.com was e-commerce service (also known as CellBaazar) to enable users sell or buy products through mobile or internet. It was free to use for all Grameenphone customers,[13] but was closed in 2017.
• Various other services like stock information, Instant Messaging, SMS Based Alerts/Services, Voice-based Services, Downloads, music, Cricket Updates, Web SMS, Mobile Backup etc.
• Grameenphone also owns startup accelerator GP Accelerator and startup mentorship platform White-Board. The accelerator program launched its 6th batch of startups for a 4.5-month-long program on 6 November 2019, at GP House.[14]

With the help of Grameenphone, Grameen Telecom operates the national Village Phone programme, alongside its own parent Grameen Bank and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), acting as the sole provider of telecommunications services to a number of rural areas. Most Village Phone participants are women living in remote areas. Village Phone works as an owner-operated GSM payphone whereby a borrower takes a BDT 12,000 (US$200) loan from Grameen Bank to subscribe to Grameenphone and is then trained on how to operate it and how to charge others to use it at a profit. As of September 2006, there are more than 255,000 Village Phones in operation in 55,000 villages around Bangladesh. This program has been replicated also in some other countries including in Uganda and Rwanda in Africa.[15]

A typical Grameenphone tower

Community Information Center (CIC) or GPCIC was an initiative aimed at providing internet access and other communications services to rural areas. In February 2006, 26 CICs were established across the country as a pilot project.[16] In this project, Grameenphone provided GSM/EDGE/GPRS infrastructure and technical support and other partners Grameen Telecom Corporation and Society for Economic and Basic Advancement (SEBA), were involved in selecting and training entrepreneurs to run the village centres. These CICs were used for a wide variety of business and personal purposes, from accessing health and agricultural information to using government services to video conferencing with relatives overseas. Grameenphone also trained entrepreneurs so that they could demonstrate to people how to set up an e-mail account and best make use of the Internet. Currently, none of the CICs are being operated by GP.

A GPC at Gulshan, Dhaka

A franchised Grameenphone centre at Tejgaon, Dhaka

A Grameenphone center (GPC) serves as a "one stop solution" for customers, with all telecommunications products and services, under a single roof. A Grameenphone centre also sells phones from vendors like Samsung, Apple, Xiaomi and more. EDGE/GPRS modems and accessories such chargers and headphones are also sold at GPCs.

As of February 2013, there are 85[17] GPCs and they are strategically located at all major locations of the country is operated by Grameenphone. There are 2 GP Lounges for customer experience of GP Digital Services. There are also 376,285 unique recharge outlets and 6,836 GP Express Stores all across Bangladesh.

Significant Market Player: In November 2018 the regulator identified SMP as institutions with at least the following a) more than 40% market revenue share, b) more than 40% of market share, or c) holding more than 40% of spectrum. Grameenphone was declared a Significant Market Player by BTRC as having over 40% market and revenue share. Disagreements between the operator and the regulator have since ensued regarding the penalties for being a SMP. Grameenphone has maintained that it supports a competition framework consistent with the applicable laws and international best practices; and that directives should not restrict an entities' ability to grow, innovate or invest. The company has earned market share through fair practices and within the stipulated market regulation overseeing the industry. BTRC on the other hand has been trying to impose various rules on the operator in order to restrict the operator's growth and maintain healthy competition in the market. Despite various regulatory issues, Grameenphone continues to maintain a healthy growth in the market.

BTRC Audit claims: In April 2019, BTRC issued a letter to Grameenphone claiming almost BDT 12,600 cr (US$1.5 billion) in dues. GP was issued a demand letter and given two weeks to pay the dues, according to BTRC Chairman. In response to the move by the government authorities, Grameenphone stated, "Throughout the entire process we have pointed out errors in the methodologies, procedure and substance of this audit exercise; however, our observations have gone unheeded. Grameenphone is a transparent company and adheres to the applicable laws of the land".