Bangladesh dreams big with mobile and internet proliferation
When you pursue a big dream, you’ve got to punch above your weight. Consider Muhammad Ali when he fought Sonny Liston for the heavyweight championship in 1964.
Ali weighed in at 210 pounds (95 kg), while Liston was several pounds over his prime fighting weight at 218 pounds (99 kg). That eight-pound difference doesn’t seem like a lot until it’s at the other end of a boxer’s fist. It is estimated that boxing champion George Foreman with a single punch could produce 1,300 pounds of force.
Ali was considered the underdog. But with his superior speed, agility, power, and unconventional fighting style, he beat Liston to become the heavyweight champion.
In what was considered a stunning upset, Ali said, “I shook up the world.” And his world shake-up was a direct result of Ali’s grit and determination to be a champion. There were many more to come.
For developing countries today that want to improve their economies and living conditions, it takes a big dream and grit – and a willingness to get knocked down.
And it takes a dream to fight above your weight. Welcome to Bangladesh.
Bangladesh Vision 2041 is a national strategic plan to develop the country’s socio-economic conditions. Between 2022 and 2041, Bangladesh aims to achieve high-income status through industrialization. And that includes a significant expansion in its broadband and mobile infrastructure.
Cataleya Navigated Challenges to Help Bangladesh Pursue Its Vision
Not every technology company is prepared to stay the course to gain market share in developing countries.
Global players might have reach and deep financial resources but often lack an essential understanding of on-the-ground realities. Cultural differences, political instability, government policies, pricing pressure and unexpected events can lead big players to calculate that the opportunity costs are too high and eventually forego their market aspirations.
Not for Cataleya, a provider of telecommunications solutions and SBCs to operators worldwide. The company has a long history and commitment to Bangladesh’s future.
“Bangladesh is climbing out of poverty and overcoming complex difficulties,” said Andreas Hipp, CEO of Cataleya. “But every time they try to get one step up the ladder, a curveball chops it off underneath their feet.”
Curveballs haven’t diminished the country from moving forward.
With an Eye on the Prize, Cataleya Met the Challenges
Cataleya’s engagement with ICX players in Bangladesh began in 2015. Today the company has signed contracts with 10 out of 18 ICX operators, with the potential to reach 14, resulting in a 60 percent market share, Hipp confirmed.
It was a 15-round match replete with ‘the unexpected.’
Despite establishing its pricing model, because of COVID, a currency decline, and market pressures, Cataleya had to revise its pricing repeatedly, Hipp said.
And Cataleya faced competitive challenges from global leaders like Oracle, Dialogic, Ribbon, Telcobridges, and WTL.
At one point, the central bank froze the issuance of letters of credit in US dollars for international payments. That forced Cataleya to handle local payments in Thaka, Bangladesh’s local currency.
Undeterred, again, the company streamlined pricing that kept most competitors out of the running.
And there were price deterioration and delays due to supply chain issues, inflation, and international banking problems.
Despite the challenges, flexible thinking and patience won the day. Now the company has a strong market presence and has secured a sizable share in both the ICX and IGW operator groups.
“We currently serve six international gateway operators and twelve to fourteen ICX players in Bangladesh,” Hipp confirmed.
“In addition to the IGW and ICX markets, we hope our efforts will gain the interest of the large Mobile Operators as well as the ITSP operator community, which we are yet to serve.”
He continued, “Despite its challenges, I’m optimistic about Bangladesh. Its economy is expanding rapidly, and I believe it can become a major economic player in the region. It pays to be deeply committed to flexibility.”
Cataleya Raises the SIP Stakes with Its SBCs
Cataleya’s SBCs provide:
A reliable and scalable platform for SIP traffic for large traffic volumes with minimal disruption.
Security of SIP traffic to protect customer data.
Customization to meet the specific needs of SIPs, such as call routing, quality of service (QoS), and fraud prevention.
Cataleya offers 24/7 support, online documentation, and training courses.
