Grameenphone launches co-branded version of Opera Mini for its 32 million users in Bangladesh
Grameenphone, the leading telecommunications service provider in Bangladesh, and Opera Software, makers of the Opera web browsers for mobile phones, today announced the launch of Opera Mini customized for Grameenphone users.
The Opera Mini web browser for mobile phones, works on more than 3000 different handsets ranging from basic feature phones to high-end smartphones. It is the most popular browser in the world, with more than 90 million users every month. The Opera Mini browser uses Opera's servers to compress webpages up to 90 per cent of their original size before sending them to the phone. Because the data transferred is smaller, pages arrive faster. On a pay-as-you-go plan, the Opera Mini browser dramatically cuts the price you pay, because the data you use is greatly reduced.
Grameenphone has always been a pioneer in introducing new products and services in the local market. Grameenphone was the first company to introduce GSM technology in Bangladesh when it launched its services in March 1997. The entire Grameenphone network is EDGE/GPRS enabled. More than two million of Grameenphone users are active Internet subscribers.
In August last year, The Telenor Group, which is majority shareholder of Grameenphone and Opera Software announced a global agreement aiming to stimulate rapid growth of mobile Internet services across Telenor's business units. As part of this Global Frame Agreement, Opera and Grameenphone have worked together to further innovate and expand the scope of the mobile Web in Bangladesh. They have developed a co-branded version of the Opera Mini browser that is customized to the local market.
“We have come a long way since our village phone program, along which we started Grameenphone operations in 1997. Since inception, our focus has been to empower each and every citizen of Bangladesh with mobile telephony. We pride ourselves on the fact that Grameenphone is the only operator to cover 99 per cent of the country's people with network,” adds Arild Kaale, Chief Marketing Officer, Grameenphone. “We trust Opera's mobile web technology and are delighted to announce the launch of a customized version of Opera Mini for our users. We encourage Grameenphone users to download this efficient browser and enjoy the beautiful world of the Internet on their mobile devices.”
“Access to the Web should not be limited to the privileged few. For a majority of mobile telephony users in emerging markets, a mobile handset may turn out to be the primary way of accessing the Internet. The technology behind the Opera Mini browser is best suited for such markets, where EDGE/GPRS are widely used. We have worked hard to ensure that Opera Mini is able to run on a wide range of mobile devices, providing users with a rich browsing experience,” adds Lars Boilesen, Chief Executive Officer, Opera Software. “Our excitement to launch a customized version of the Opera Mini browser today is further amplified by the fact that we have the support of Grameenphone.”
Download--get the Opera Mini browser on your phone and access free Internet.
To get the latest Opera Mini version customized for your phone, SMS “Opera” to 5000.
Opera Mini users on the Grameenphone network will get free data services for one week, after you download the mobile browser.