Robi to launch 5G today in Dhaka, Chattogram and Sylhet

Bangladesh's second-largest mobile operator Robi is likely to launch 5G today in select parts of Dhaka, Chattogram and Sylhet.

This marks the first-ever commercial 5G launch by a mobile operator in Bangladesh.

According to officials, the initial rollout areas in Dhaka include Shahbagh, Fakirapool and the Robi office premises.

Users with 5G-compatible handsets are likely to be able to access the new service in these locations this afternoon.

Robi declined to comment. 

The first 5G demonstration in the country was held on July 25, 2018, at the Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka in collaboration between Robi and Huawei.

On December 12, 2018, state-owned operator Teletalk launched experimental 5G services across six locations.

In 2022, Grameenphone conducted extensive trials, including initial use-case demonstrations in Dhaka and Chattogram, followed by trial runs across all eight divisional cities.

Despite these early initiatives, commercial 5G deployment in Bangladesh had been delayed due to infrastructure limitations.

India commercially launched 5G services on October 1, 2022.

Globally, 5G subscriptions surpassed 2.4 billion by the first quarter of 2025 and are projected to reach nearly 2.9 billion by the end of the year, according to the Ericsson Mobility Report (Q1 2025).