Robi Axiata PLC has launched limited-scale commercial 5G services in selected areas, including Shahbagh and Fakirapool in Dhaka, as well as certain parts of Chattogram and Sylhet.

The service, rolled out with technical support from Huawei and Ericsson, was inaugurated by Fayez Ahmad Taiyeb, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser on Posts, Telecommunications, and ICT.

The launching ceremony, held today at Robi’s corporate office, was attended by Shish Haydar Chowdhury, Secretary of the ICT Division; Major General (Retd.) Emdad Ul Bari, Chairman of BTRC; Commissioner Mahmud Hasan; and Director General Aminul Haque.

Speaking at the event, BTRC Chairman Emdad Ul Bari noted that about 35% of the country’s population still uses feature phones. He emphasized that while introducing next-generation technologies, it is equally important to ensure that rural communities are not left behind. He added:

“5G is not just a technology; it is a real-time solution. We are working to expand the existing 200,000 kilometers of fiber optic cable to 500,000 kilometers, making nationwide 5G coverage more feasible.”

M. Riaz Rashid, Acting CEO of Robi, stated that government vision and policy support made the rapid launch possible. For now, customers can enjoy 5G at the same cost as 4G, with expansion plans to 500 sites by next year, depending on demand.

The inauguration ceremony also featured Shihab Ahmed, Robi’s Chief Commercial Officer, and Shahedul Alam, Company Secretary, as special guests.