Bite-sized internet packages empowering freelancers in remote villages
Like many industries and communities, the freelancing community in Bangladesh has also been hit hard by the pandemic. When the pandemic and the lockdown forced many job-seekers, students and freelancers to move to their homes in remote parts of the country, finding seamless connectivity posed to be a major threat in moving forward with internet-based works.
Ruman of Jhenidah is one such freelancer who wanted to learn graphic designing. But the lockdown forced him to move to his village where broadband internet was not available. He had to learn. And mobile internet was slow and costly. Ruman was in trouble. Until he came to know about WiFi Haat.
WiFi Haat is an initiative by Carnival Internet where local brick and mortar shops in villages are supplied with internet package cards starting from only BDT 7, which users can use according to their needs. There are other packages available as well. For example, for BDT 15, one can use unlimited high-speed broadband internet for the entire day.
WiFi Haat is a part of Carnival Internet's ongoing commitment to empower the remote parts of the country with seamless internet connectivity, in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals. Internet cards from WiFi Haat enable users to seamlessly use high-speed internet at a low cost, enabling freelancers, students and job-seekers in remote villages to empower themselves by learning new skills and putting them to good use by freelancing and earning.
Carnival hopes that internet connectivity will reach the remotest corners of the country and the entire country will be connected to the world so that in an age of globalization, no one from Bangladesh is left behind.
To find out about this journey, we had an interactive chat with Zaman Khan, Director of Carnival Internet, with whom Carnival Internet started its journey and has spread across the country today.
1. How has Carnival internet service so far expanded to the remote areas of the country? How real is the idea of Carnival WiFi Hat?
Mahbubul Matin, Chairman of DotLines Group, decided to launch the 'Carnival Go Rural' project to reduce the digital divide between urban and rural people, inspired by the 'Digital Bangladesh' of the current government's 'Rupkolpo 2021' and the 'Village will be the city' mentioned in the 2018 election manifesto. The purpose of this project is to ensure high speed broadband internet connection through optical fiber.
People extract various benefits of quality education, entertainment and economic activities from the village. Based on the infrastructure that the present government has created for internet service up to upazila and union level, Carnival Internet has launched a project to provide internet services in remote areas. Carnival has reached 11,500 villages in 182 upazilas of 48 districts of the country. With a family of One Lakh subscriber and about 5 lac WiFi Haat subscribers, Carnival internet has now come a long way in building the digital Bangladesh of our Prime Minister's dream.
2. What are the special initiatives Carnival Internet is taking for digital entrepreneurs and freelancers in the future?
We are thinking of taking WiFi hut to a bigger horizon with our new initiative called 'Carnival Point'. Apart from Carnival Internet, Dotlines Bangladesh has many more brands. In parallel to this, Carnival Assure is working with Insurance offering easy and low-cost insurance for the rural people. To ensure nationwide delivery of all kinds of good, we have our other brand, Ecourier working towards it. Besides, we have a digital learning platform called Ghoori Learning to deliver top-class educational and professional courses for related students at affordable prices. Once the Wifi Haats incorporate into Carnival Point, all other mentioned brands services will be available along with Wifi Cards.
From Carnival Point, a freelancer can easily purchase Ghoori Learning courses as per their need. Courses like professional development, programming, video editing, motion graphics, digital marketing, graphic design in Ghoori Learning will be very helpful for a freelancer. And also, easily complete registration for any courses from Carnval Point. Ghoori Learning is also organizing special training on how to get work from different platforms of freelancing and how to increase income.