emer@butterflyworks.orgDhaka, May, 2012

State of Mobile in Bangladesh

Taken at FPAB center, Mymensingh

How many mobiles?

Total mobile Subscription rate adjusted for Dual Sim Card - 73 million

Mobile internet users 8 million

Total Population 142 million, (under 14’s is approx 33% of this)

from Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission

What type of phone (handset) do people have?

Basic Phone (black & white) – 20%

Feature Phone (below TK 5000) - 69%

Smart Phone – 11%

…..Symphony, Nokia, Maximus most popular

Some of the Phones of FPAB group

6 Mobile Operators in Bangladesh

Grameen Phone – 35%*BanglaLink – 21%Aertel – 19%Robi – 15%CityTalk – 5%Teletalk – 5 % (Govt owned)

*approximate numbersTo get a shortcode working,…..u need all operators

Showing rapid growth of mobile

Initial findings from Rapid needs assesment,mobile usage, young people’s groups, Dhaka & MymensinghMay 30th, 31st 2012

6 groups in Dhaka and Mymensingh.

1. Golartek City Colony, Mirpur-1 (HASAB), 25 Girls, Age 14 to 242. BRAC Secondary School, Mymensing Boys, Age 13 to 17 years, Grade 103. FPAB- peer leaders group, Kachrighat, Mymensing4. BRAC Adolescent Club, Diglapara, Mymensing, 28 Girls, 13 to 19 years old5. BNPS Women group, Bhuiyapara, Khilgaon, Dhaka 14 women and girls in the age from 14 to 406. Secondary School, Rajarbag, Police line, Dhaka (BNPS) 36 Girls, all 13 years old

General Usage patterns, across all 6 groups

Phones

• Most of the girls, boys and women that we spoke to have or prefer to have feature phone.

• A feature phone with English alphabet is preferred to having a black and white screen phone with Bangla alphabet.

• Most have Nokia, Samsung, Symphony, Maximus.

General Usage patterns across all 6 groups

Games

• Almost all play games on their phones. They use the games on their mobile sets or buy memory cards which they fill up with games, music and music videos in the local shop.

• They play games during leisure time or at night when the electricity goes down.

• A lot of the girls that we spoke to love to have music videos on their phones.

General Usage patterns

SRHR Information on phones

• All girls, boys and women indicated that they would like they have access to SRHR information via mobile phone.

• They would all prefer to be able to speak to a counselor instead of getting information through sms.

Difficulties of being a girl/boy

• Lack of freedom, early marriage, sexual harassment, dowry system, physical changes, having to work at a young age.

Role model

• Girls: Begum Sufia Kamal, Mother Theresa, Own mother.

• Boys: Kazi Nazrul, the teacher, parents, grand father, big brother, Islam.

Golartek City Colony, Mirpur-1 (HASAB)

Golartek City Colony, Mirpur-1 (HASAB)25 Girls, Age 14 to 24

• 3 where still in school, 3 didn’t go to school, 11 finished Grade 5, 1 finished Grade 10.

• 16 Girls have small children • They think it’s ok to get a phone from the age of 14 years • They send text messages in Bangla with English Alphabet • They all say about being a girl that they would like more freedom and be equal to boys

BRAC Secondary School, Mymensing

BRAC Secondary School, MymensingBoys, Age 13 to 17 years, Grade 10

• 3 boys share phone, 12 have own phone, 8 have internet • Computer shop for games is 2 km away • Majority knows of no helplines, a few know: 789 (3), BBC Janala (1), Robi (1) • The information they get per sms: is reminder for the polio vaccine (2), government info (2), • Interested to have information about bodily changes during puberty

• They also like more freedom and would like to stop early marriage.

FPAB- peer educators group, Kachrighat, Mymensing

FPAB- peer educators group, Kachrighat, MymensingGirls 12 / Boys 18, Age from 15 to 23

• Most of them have a feature phone.

• 4 share phone with family (girls under 18), 11 have own phone.

• Half the group know helplines, but don’t say which one, 1 says 789, 1 says FPAB has a helpline • 6 have access to internet • The information they get per sms: 6 says yes, for example sms about Safe mothers day,

BRAC Adolescent Club, Diglapara, Mymensing28 Girls, 13 to 19 years old

BRAC Adolescent Club, Diglapara, Mymensing28 Girls, 13 to 19 years old • 23 share family phone, 5 have own phoneThey have to explain parents first before making a call • they expect to have an own phone at 17 – 19 years old (they will buy it themselves) • Majority knows 2 helpline: Health emergency line and Social Helpline which a regional counselor. 3 Concepts:22 prefer game 6 prefer the magazine (the older girls)

Womens group, Bhuiyapara, Khilgaon, Dhaka (BNPS)

Womens group, Bhuiyapara, Khilgaon, Dhaka (BNPS)14 women and girls in the age from 14 to 40 • They have own phone.3 only receive calls, 8 use it to call supplier at the market. • Their children play games on the phone, after lunch or at night. • 1 has access to internet • They would share SRHR information with their children. • If the phone had Bangla alphabet (feature phone) they’d use it more.

Secondary School, Rajarbag, Police line, Dhaka (BNPS)

Secondary School, Rajarbag, Police line, Dhaka (BNPS)36 Girls, all 13 years old • All share family phone. • They expect to get an own phone at the age of 18.Not earlier as the parents would be afraid of misuse pornography, sexual harassment, stalking by phone. • If there would be game about Eve teasing (sexual harassment) parents would allow them to play it. • They get the games on the phone or buy in (computer) shop

Group exercise

• FPAB group: Design a mobile tool for them to facilitate their work. (could be a mixed with other media)

• Girls from Golartek City Colony: create a mobile tool (could be a mixed with other media) to convince the husband and family of those girls to give them more freedom.

• BRAC Secondary School, Mymensing: think of a way giving the boys information about bodily changes during puberty via mobile phones.