GP launches new internet campaign

Mobile operator Grameenphone yesterday launched a new campaign -- Easy Net -- to raise awareness on the use of internet.

The market leader has set a target to bring its entire subscriber base under internet connectivity by 2017, Yasir Azman, chief marketing officer of Grameenphone, said at the launch of the campaign at Lakeshore Hotel in Dhaka.

As of June, Grameenphone has signed up 5.31 crore active mobile customers, and of them, 1.4 crore have internet connections. There are 12.69 crore active mobile connections in the six-operator market.

Customers with a feature phone or smartphone have to dial *5000*55# to receive a micro site link to watch a video tutorial on the basics of internet.

Easy Net launched under the "Internet for All" campaign will also provide the customers with an opportunity of browsing internet sites for free. Users can browse through Facebook and Wikipedia, and some more sites will be added to the list soon.

"Easy Net will help our customers learn about internet and harness the power of knowledge to move ahead in their lives," said Azman.

About 9.64 crore mobile phone users or 76 percent of the total do not use the internet and nearly 6.5 crore of them do not use the internet just to avoid high bills, according to a study by Grameenphone.

"A lack of awareness on internet is a significant barrier to the spread of data services, and we believe that Easy Net will help us significantly remove the barrier," Azman said.

The operator's internet subscribers currently use 200 MB of internet on average a month, officials said.

Nehal Ahmed, director of marketing, and Tareq-ul-Islam, general manager of wireless and broadband at Grameenphone, also spoke.