Teletalk 5G project postponed amid dollar shortage

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said there is no need of Teletalk 5G project right now, rather it is necessary to ensure mobile phone's 4G service at everywhere in the country.

She was speaking at a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) held at NEC Conference Room on Tuesday (August 2) morning joining virtually from her official residence Ganabhaban in the capital.

The meeting, chaired by Sheikh Hasina, also the charperson of ECNEC, approved 7 other development projects. It will require Tk 2,007.57 crore to implement those projects.

Teletalk wants to launch 5G technology in Dhaka metropolitan area commercially which will require an estimated Tk 236.54 crore. Almost 80 per cent of equipment of the project will have to procure from abroad spending dollar.

Posts and Telecommunication Division presented the project proposal for final approval at the ECNEC meeting. However, the prime minister turned down the proposal subsequently.

It is learnt that the prime minister turned down the Teletalk's proposal in the wake of acute shortage of foreign currency reserves in the country.

Following the meeting, Planning Minister MA Mannan said the Teletalk project was postponed as it would cost dollars from the country's foreign exchange reserves which is so much essential right now. The minister said the project was not cancelled. It will be implemented later on.