Bangladeshi operator Grameenphone and Ericsson allied on AI and automation research, seeking to foster growth and advance the digital transformation of the nation’s telecoms sector.

In a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) they set plans to hold technology trials and workshops to advance AI and automation moves. Ericsson stated they also intend to partner with external industry players, government bodies and regulators.

The plans centre on Ericsson’s technological capabilities, with the target of boosting Grameenphone’s customer experience.

Ericsson stated the MoU would match Bangladesh’s goal to become a digital-first nation. It also builds on a relationship between the vendor and operator dating to 1998.

“The technology that we intend to collaborate on will transform and deliver a superior experience for our customers”, by employing an “AI-first approach”, Grameenphone CIO Niranjan Srinivasan commented.

David Hagerbro, head of Ericsson Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, said the AI and automation work would leave Grameenphone better placed to respond to “the evolving needs of its customers and increasingly complex demands on the network”.