In its recently released 2008 year-end report, it also records subscriber base up by 46 percent, compared to the previous year, to stand at 1.4 crore. Market share as of Dec 31 2008 stood at 23.2 percent, up from 20.6 percent in 2007.
A subsidiary of Orascom Telecom Holding, Banglalink said in a statement Wednesday: "Performance of 2008 reflects positively in the wake of the onset of the emerging global financial crisis."
2008 also witnessed the continuation of high SIM tax, which increasingly proved to be financially challenging for operators, says the company.
"[This] eventually led to a reduction in the subsidy that was being offered to consumers. As a result, there was a significant slowdown in new subscriber acquisition in the industry during Q4 2008."
Nevertheless, "in terms of revenue, Banglalink reported a 50 percent year-on-year increase with a total revenue of Tk 1,994 crore for the year."
The company says it continued to invest heavily in network enhancement throughout 2008, at a total outlay of around Tk 3,000 crore, "the highest in the industry during the year" and bringing up the total investment till date to over Tk 7,000 crore.
"Banglalink also strengthened … its customer care service, regarded in many aspects to be the best in the mobile industry of Bangladesh," states the company.
"A state-of-the art call centre with highly trained agents continued to provide round the clock service to customers all over the country."
"Banglalink also pioneered the concept of taking customer service closer to its stakeholders through the introduction of more than 1,000 customer care points across the country – the largest network of its kind in the industry," says the company.
It also launched some "well appreciated and informative call centre based services", such as 'Healthlink', a health counselling service, and 'SME Jiggasha', an SME related query and information service — along with SMS roaming for its international roaming customers during 2008.
"On the CSR front, Banglalink focused heavily in promoting overall tourism in Bangladesh - the milestone project of supporting Cox's Bazar in the New7Wonders campaign … an endeavour that aimed to bring pride to the country."
The ongoing initiatives of keeping the Cox's Bazar sea beach clean, introduction of functional services in and around Zia International Airport and the launching of the Country Branding programme were other important milestones that were successfully underway in 2008, says Banglalink.
"Such initiatives helped in differentiating Banglalink as an innovator," says the company.
bdnews24.com/mrf/rah/1134h
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