Bhutan Telecom Lanches Flood of Mobile Data Services
Bhutan Telecom has announced that it will be introducing GPRS, EDGE and 3G services on its B-mobile GSM network later this month. The EDGE service is expected to start trials this week and the 3G service will start tests on the 21st April 2008.
The commercial launch of the services will be on 5th May 2008.
GPRS service will be available where ever there is B-mobile network. EDGE service is available in the twenty Dzongkhag headquarters and some major towns. 3G service will only be available in the capital city, Thimphu initially.
Ericsson is providing the 3G network - and rollout started last November.
Bhutan Telecom is the sole live operator in the country, although the Tashi Group has recently been granted a license in the country. According to the Mobile World, there are only 100,000 mobile phone users and population penetration is just below 5%.
Within Bhutan, foreign influences and tourism are heavily regulated by the government to preserve the country's traditional culture and national identity. The landscape ranges from subtropical plains in the south to the Himalayan heights in the north, with some peaks exceeding seven thousand metres. Mahayana Buddhism is the state religion and accounts for about half the population.
Posted to the site on 5th April 2008
