The soon to be launched handsets includes two different phone models – one with regular features and another a smartphone – that were assembled by the partnership of state-owned Telephone Shilpa Sangstha Ltd (TSS) and private company OK Mobile BD Inc USA.
“Initially we are going to launch two low-end mobile sets, with the regular featured one priced at Tk1,200 and the 3G enabled handset priced at Tk4,000. Soon we will also launch three more sets,” Khondoker Jamil Uddin, chairman of OK Mobile, told the Dhaka Tribune.
He said they were currently operating on a limited scale while all equipments for assembling smartphones were expected to be set up by December.
“We will start our assembly process soon, but currently we brought it [phones] from China with our own specification, and did some other work at the TSS,” Jamil added.
A couple of Chinese specialists also worked on the project to make it successful, a senior executive of OK Mobile told the Dhaka Tribune.
The products would be launched under the brand name “OK Mobile,” said Md Jasimul Haque, president of OK Mobile Global.
OK mobile authorities said they would initially sell their mobile sets at 13 points in Dhaka with plans to expand the number soon.
OK mobile sources also said they plan to introduce high-end handsets priced between Tk25,000 and Tk30,000, as well as offering handsets ranging from Tk7,000-8,000, Tk14,000-16,000 and Tk22,000-24,000.
“All the handsets will have dual SIM facility and some will come with 2 megapixel to 12 megapixel cameras,” Jasimul added.
He said they were planning to go for global marketing within two years, while the initial aim was to sell one lakh handsets every month.
“We are not thinking about profit before two years, and by then, our plan is to have 10% to 12% market share in Bangladesh. We have targets to export handsets to some countries in Africa and Latin America as well,” Jasimul said.
Earlier, the TSS – a government firm under the Telecom Ministry – collaborated with Malaysian firm TFT to launch the “Doel” laptop, a project that did not enjoy much success.
Jasimul, however, expressed his optimism surrounding the latest initiative. “Our project is going to be the first of its kind in the country which can have impact on the users shortly.”
The OK Mobile boss said they had brought the key technology from a Chinese company, but refused to disclose its name as it was a business secret.
Telecom Ministry sources said the TSS awarded Indigo Group, the local partner of OK Mobile, with the project following submission of tender for the fourth time.
In 2010, an Indian firm proposed to the TSS that it would assemble and market the “ZEN & TSS” brand mobile phones at competitive prices; but the deal could not be reached.
When the latest tenders were submitted, the TSS received three offers with the one by Indigo being the most attractive, said TSS Managing Director Md Husnul Mahmud Khan.
“We are allowing them to use our 14,923 square-feet office space and other infrastructures to implement the project. They will pay Tk6 for each square foot of space,” he told the Dhaka Tribune.
On February 27, a contract was signed between the TSS and Indigo Group on this regard; while according to the contract, the Indigo Group is supposed to get six months to begin assembling handsets.
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