
Citycell was one of the leading mobile network operators in Bangladesh, offering a wide range of services to its customers.
Citycell's services and offerings were designed to meet the diverse needs of Bangladeshi consumers, from prepaid and postpaid plans to value-added services like internet and SMS.
Citycell provided 2G and 3G network services to its customers, with a strong focus on coverage and quality.
With its extensive network, Citycell was able to offer reliable and fast internet services to its customers, making it a popular choice for online activities and mobile browsing.
Broaden your view: Internet in Bangladesh
Services
Citycell offers a range of services to cater to different needs of its customers.
Their services include mobile phone plans, internet, and TV services, all of which can be bundled together for a discounted rate.
Citycell's mobile phone plans offer a variety of options, including prepaid and postpaid plans, as well as different data limits and call packages.
Their internet services provide fast and reliable connectivity, with speeds of up to 100 Mbps in some areas.
Citycell also offers a range of TV channels, including sports, movies, and news channels, which can be accessed through their set-top box service.
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Number Type
Citizens of Bangladesh can enjoy a unique mobile number format with Citisel, starting with "01" followed by their unique sequence, such as 011-12345678. To dial internationally, you'll need to add the Bangladesh international dialing code, +880, making it +8801112345678.
Citisel offers two types of services to their customers: prepaid and postpaid.
The mobile network operators in Bangladesh are listed below:
Note: Ekikrit means "merged" in Bengali, indicating that the operator has merged with another company.
Postpaid
Citycell's postpaid plan was branded as Citycell One, offering a range of benefits to subscribers.
Subscribers enjoyed 4 free numbers to other operators, 30-second pulse for all outgoing calls, Zoom Data service, and more.
The postpaid plan also included two newly launched plans, with additional features and benefits.
In 2009, Citycell introduced a postpaid service called VOICE-DATA plan, offering cheaper tariffs for voice calls and SMS on any operator or BTTB (NWD) network.
Expand your knowledge: Network Service Provider
Customer Service Center
Citizens of Bangladesh had access to many customer service centers all over the country.
These centers were set up by Citicel to provide assistance to their customers.
There were numerous customer service centers, with many more service points available.
Offerings
Citycell offered a range of products to cater to different customer needs.
Their plans included both prepaid and postpaid options, which gave customers flexibility in choosing how to manage their mobile services.
Citycell operated on CDMA technology, which is a different technology from the more common GSM used by many other mobile operators.
Reactions
Citycell's reaction to the changing market trends was swift, with the company launching a new 3G service in 2008.
The 3G service was a significant upgrade from their previous offerings, providing faster data speeds and improved network coverage.
Citycell's customers were quick to adapt to the new service, with many taking advantage of the increased speeds to stream music and videos on their mobile devices.
Demise a Formality
Citycell's demise was a formality, as the company's license was shut down due to arbitrary decisions by the BTRC and the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications.
The company's revenue over the past eight years could have been approximately Tk 2,000 crore if it hadn't been shut down.

PBTL claimed in its letter to the BTRC that the company's licenses should be reinstated, including its cellular mobile phone operator license and radio communication equipment license.
The company also requested a complete 10 MHz spectrum, which would have allowed it to operate more efficiently.
PBTL demanded that the licenses for 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G be valid until 2033, which would have given the company a long-term future.
The company called for the waiving of the "unlawful and arbitrary" penalty for non-payment of the license fee, which would have saved them a significant amount of money.
Criticism and Penalty
Citycell faced a huge fine of BDT 1.5 billion (150 crore) for its involvement in illegal VoIP or international call termination.
The company's involvement in this issue was discovered in May 2007 during a raid in their Mohakhali office by the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission.
In 2023, the government took further action by cancelling CityCell's 2G licence.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened to Citycell?
Citycell faced controversy in 2007 for illegal VoIP activities and its 2G license was cancelled in 2023.
Who is the owner of Citycell?
Citycell is owned by Pacific Bangladesh Telecom Ltd. The company made this ownership public in a letter to the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission on September 1.
Is Citycell SIM available in Bangladesh?
No, Citycell SIM is not available in Bangladesh as the operator ceased operations in 2016 due to license issues and unpaid dues.
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