Robi launches 3.5G internet mela across the country

DHAKA, Nov. 2 (Robi Press Release) — Robi Axiata Limited, in partnership with multiple government ministries, announced the launch of the Robi 3.5G Internet Mela today at a press briefing in a city hotel. The internet mela will kick off from 16 November and conclude by December.

The 3.5G Internet Mela, which is the first private-public partnership (PPP) initiative of its kind, with support from the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MoICT), the Ministry of Information and the Ministry of Health & Family Planning, will be cover 500 colleges in 429 thanas across Bangladesh.

The objective of the internet fair is to build awareness on internet services among the community and help transform the country into a knowledge based economy. It hoped that the Robi 3.5G Internet Mela will help enhance ICT literacy by providing internet accessibility and availability for students to promote the internet as a tool to gather knowledge and encourage a culture of learning through the Internet for the youth.

The Robi 3.5G Internet Mela will be held at each of the 500 college fields and will feature experience booths for the visitors to experience the internet for themselves. Through this fair youth across every single thana of the country will be able to access the internet and experience the power of data connectivity.

Moreover there will be a health camp, through which visitors can receive a free health check-up, and a MoICT corner through different landmark MoICT initiatives will be communicated to visitors. The Robi 3.5G Internet Mela will also feature a ‘Teachers Parents Advocacy’ booth for students and teachers where they can be briefed on Robi products and services, and an HR Consultancy booth run by Prothom Alo Jobs at select locations to collect CVs from interested students and advise on how to apply for jobs.

Speaking at the event, the Robi CMO, Mr. Pradeep Shrivastava, thanked the officials of the various ministries for their all-out support in the initiative. He continued that the world was now a global village and that any kind of information was available at the end of a data connection, “the Robi 3.5G Internet Mela will drive the connectivity of our great country to the world and will in turn help to build a knowledge-based society.”

Robi has recently launched 3.5G services commercially and is working to expand the network. As a thought leader Robi sees the 3.5G Internet Mela as a precursor in generating greater interest about the internet among the youth of this country.

Among those present at the press briefing were Mr. Mostafa Faruque Mohammad, MP Hon’ble Minister of ICT, who was present at the event as Chief Guest; Mr. N I Khan, Hon’ble Secretary, Ministry of ICT; Mr. Ayubur Rahman Khan, Hon’ble Additional Secretary, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare; Mr. Martuza Ahmed, Hon’ble Secretary, Ministry of Information; and Mr. Mahtabuddin Ahmed, Chief Financial Officer, along with other top officials from the relevant ministries and Robi.