Telenor-owned Grameenphone, Bangladesh’s largest mobile operator, is piloting Open RAN technology with Rakuten Symphony as part of a move toward nationwide deployment. The project, announced jointly by the two companies, will introduce Rakuten Symphony’s 4G/5G non-standalone (NSA) networking and management solutions.
The pilot includes Rakuten’s centralised and distributed units, radio units, and OSS applications, with implementation supported by local partners. While the number of sites is undisclosed, the companies confirmed that the pilot is intended as a stepping stone to a nationwide rollout.
Jai Prakash, Grameenphone’s CTO, highlighted the significance of the initiative: “This pilot marks a significant step in our journey towards building a more agile, efficient, and future-ready network infrastructure. By embracing Open RAN, we aim to unlock new possibilities for innovation and deliver enhanced connectivity experiences to millions of subscribers.”
Grameenphone, 55.8% owned by Telenor, serves over 86 million users, with 50 million active internet subscribers. Despite economic challenges and declining revenues, the operator continues to push for digital transformation, strengthening its MyGP app, which now attracts 22.5 million monthly active users. CEO Yasir Azman stressed that the company’s next phase will be “AI-led,” with plans to embed AI into operations, growth, and customer experience.
Rakuten Symphony president Sharad Sriwastawa said the vendor is committed to helping Grameenphone leverage the advantages of Open RAN, including flexibility, efficiency, and faster innovation. With Open RAN’s cloud-native approach, Grameenphone can better align its AI and digital service ambitions.
Financial constraints remain a hurdle. The operator’s Q2 2025 revenues fell 2.8% year on year to 41 billion Bangladeshi taka ($336m), while capex was limited to just 3.2bn taka ($26.3m). Though the pilot will not generate major revenues for Rakuten Symphony, it adds to its recent global Open RAN wins, including partnerships with Mobifone in Vietnam, AT&T in the US, and Zain Kuwait.
