What Grameen Telecom does

Grameen Telecom is a Bangladesh-registered not-for-profit company, founded in 1995 by Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, and headquartered in Dhaka at Telecom Bhaban, Mirpur-1. The company is limited by guarantee under Section 28 of the Companies Act, 1994, has no shareholders, and reinvests all proceeds into social business objectives. Its core product is the Village Phone Program, launched in 1997, which combines microcredit with cellular telecommunications to provide mobile phone access to rural Bangladeshis through women entrepreneurs known as 'Phone Ladies.' The program pairs Grameen Bank's microcredit infrastructure with Grameenphone's network (which Grameen Telecom co-founded with Telenor of Norway in 1995) to extend telecommunications to underserved communities, reaching 1.03 million active Rural Phones across more than 83,000 villages in all 64 districts by July 2022.

The company's platform extends beyond voice telephony into a broader social business portfolio administered through Grameen Telecom Trust (GTT, formed 2010) and its subsidiaries. This includes Community Information Centers (CICs) providing internet, video conferencing, and document services; Grameen Kiosks for rural internet access in collaboration with Grameen Bank and Grameen Communications; the Nobin Udyokta program supporting over 21,000 young social entrepreneurs since 2013; the Grameen Shikkha scholarship program for disadvantaged children; and direct investments in social businesses across healthcare (Grameen Healthcare Services, 8.46% stake), knitwear (Grameen Knitwear, 66% stake), textiles (Grameen Fabrics & Fashions), and IT services.

Grameen Telecom's revenue model is structured around dividend distributions from its significant equity stake in Grameenphone (Bangladesh's largest mobile operator with 82.58 million subscribers), returns from investments in social businesses, and transaction participation in the Village Phone program. The company itself operates with a lean team of 11-50 employees and does not publicly disclose financials. The business model is explicitly oriented toward poverty alleviation and social impact rather than profit maximization, with all surplus reinvested into the Grameen Telecom Trust. Following the August 2024 leadership transition in which Professor Yunus stepped down as Chairman and Mr. Md. Ashraful Hassan assumed the role, the company continues to navigate ongoing regulatory and legal actions, including criminal and money laundering cases against former board members, which represent material governance and reputational risk.

Name

Grameen Telecom

Legal name

Grameen Telecom

Website

https://grameentelecom.net.bd

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Grameen Telecom is a Bangladesh not-for-profit founded in 1995 by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, operating the Village Phone program that delivers microcredit-funded mobile telecommunications to rural women across 83,000+ villages, alongside Community Information Centers and social business investments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rural Telecommunications and Social Business Services

NAICS

Telecommunications (517), Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (517112)

SIC

Radiotelephone Communications (4812)

akta.pro primary industry

Enterprise & B2B Mobile Network Operators (HDAIAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

VoIP Access & ITSP Services (HDAIAHAD)

Keywords

• Rural telecommunications services
• Microcredit mobile programs
• Village phone program
• Rural ICT access
• Social business programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Barisal

HQ country

Bangladesh

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Investment Returns from Grameenphone: Grameen Telecom holds significant equity stake in Grameenphone (Bangladesh's largest mobile operator with 82.58 million subscribers) and receives dividends from this investment. Grameenphone is the largest telecom company in Bangladesh.
2. Investment Returns from Social Businesses: Returns from investments in various social business companies including Grameen Shakti Samajik Baybosha Ltd, Grameen Health Care Services, Grameen Knit Wear, Samadhan Services Ltd, Samajik Health Science and Research Ltd, Grameen IT Park Ltd, and Grameen Solutions Ltd.
3. Village Phone Program Revenue: Village Phone operators generate income through call charges for providing telecommunication services to their communities. The business model allows Village Phone operators to earn substantial income, with potential earnings of $24 million per year for 40,000 Village Phone operators upon program completion.
4. Grameen Telecom Trust Operations: Grameen Telecom Trust, formed in 2010, implements and facilitates social business ideas, providing financial investments and mentorship to aspiring business owners through various programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Grameen Telecom is a not-for-profit social business that combines microcredit with mobile telecommunications to deliver communication services and ICT access to rural underserved communities in Bangladesh. Its core product, the Village Phone Program, empowers rural women entrepreneurs ("Phone Ladies") to operate mobile phone businesses serving their villages, supported by Community Information Centers, Grameen Kiosks, the Grameen Telecom Trust for social business development, and the Grameen Shikkha education scholarship program.

Product overview

Grameen Telecom is a not-for-profit company registered under Section 28 of the Companies Act 1994 in Bangladesh, founded in 1995 by Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus. The company operates a portfolio of social business programs focused on rural telecommunications access and poverty alleviation. The core product is the Village Phone Program, which provides microcredit-funded mobile phones to rural women entrepreneurs. Supporting programs include Grameen Kiosk for rural internet access, Community Information Centres (CIC) for ICT services, Grameen Scholarship for education support, and Grameen Telecom Trust for social business development. The Village Phone Program has grown to cover over 83,000 villages across Bangladesh's 64 districts with 1.03 million active Rural Phones.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Village Phone Program A microcredit-funded mobile phone initiative that empowers rural women in Bangladesh to become local telecom entrepreneurs ("Phone Ladies") who provide call services to underserved rural communities. Includes over 1.03 million active Rural Phones across 83,000+ villages in 64 districts.
• Community Information Centre (CIC) ICT service centers providing internet facilities, video conferencing, net-to-phone services, scanning, printing, video editing, and CD writing services in rural areas through Grameenphone EDGE connections. Each center is equipped with computers, web camera, printer, scanner, and standby generator.
• Grameen Kiosk Rural internet access centers established jointly by Grameen Bank, Grameen Telecom, and Grameen Communications, providing video conferencing, internet facilities, scanning, and printing services to remote villages.
• Grameen Scholarship (Grameen Shikkha) Education scholarship program providing financial assistance to impoverished, disadvantaged, and disabled children for accessing quality education, including medical scholarships and higher education support. Approximately BDT 12.11 crore paid in scholarships to date.
• Grameen Telecom Trust (GTT) Social business entity that implements and facilitates social business ideas, providing financial investments (BDT 1,413.59 crore in donation) and mentorship programs (including Nobin Udyokta) to aspiring entrepreneurs. Has supported over 21,441 young entrepreneurs since 2013.

Quantifiable outcome

• Village Phone operators derive about 24% of household income on average, becoming socially and economically empowered
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GrameenphonecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBangladesh's largest mobile operator with 82.58 million subscribers. Grameen Telecom holds significant equity stake. Grameenphone provides the network infrastructure for the Village Phone program and distributes mobile phone sets to Village Phone operators.
• Grameen BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrameen Bank, founded by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, provides microcredit to rural women who become Village Phone operators. The partnership enables poor women to access mobile phones and start telecommunications businesses.
• Grameen CommunicationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture partner with Grameen Bank and Grameen Telecom in establishing Grameen Kiosks to extend internet facilities to rural people. Grameen Communications develops software including micro banking systems used by over 100 MFIs.
• Grameen Telecom TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrameen Telecom Trust, formed in 2010, is the flagship entity responsible for implementing and facilitating Social Business ideas. It has invested BDT 1,413.59 crore in donation and disbursed BDT 3,415 crore in debt from Grameen Telecom.
• Grameen ShikkhacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImplementing partner for the Grameen Scholarship and Training Project (GSTP), providing education scholarships to poor, underprivileged, and disabled children. Project finance of BDT 12,78,85,800 from Grameen Telecom.
• Asia Branch Poverty Reduction ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner investigating the impact of GrameenPhone's Village Phone program on poverty reduction and socio-economic development of women village phone operators.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Grameenphone: Bangladesh's largest mobile operator with 82.58M subscribers, Grameenphone is the network infrastructure underlying Grameen Telecom's Village Phone Program and a major equity investee. It is directly comparable as it operates mobile telecom services to the same rural Bangladesh market that Grameen Telecom targets.
• M-KOPA: Kenya-based company that pioneered microcredit-funded distributed asset financing (solar home systems, smartphones) using mobile money repayments. Directly comparable to Grameen Telecom's Village Phone model, both combining microcredit with distributed technology products to serve rural underbanked populations in emerging markets.

Others

• BRAC: One of the world's largest non-governmental social development organizations, headquartered in Bangladesh and operating across multiple countries. Comparable to Grameen Telecom as a fellow Bangladesh-founded social enterprise with similar microfinance and poverty alleviation mission, though operating in different sectors.
• Grameen Bank: Bangladesh microfinance pioneer also founded by Muhammad Yunus and Nobel Peace Prize co-recipient in 2006. Sister organization to Grameen Telecom, providing the microcredit infrastructure that funds Village Phone operators, with closely aligned social business mission.
• Grameen Communications: Sister organization in the Grameen ecosystem, joint venture partner for Grameen Kiosks and developer of micro-banking software used by over 100 MFIs. Comparable as a sister Yunus-founded social business operating adjacent rural ICT services in Bangladesh.
• Telenor: Norwegian telecom multinational that is the joint venture partner in Grameenphone alongside Grameen Telecom. Comparable as the strategic partner/operator of the underlying network infrastructure that Grameen Telecom's Village Phone program relies upon.

Broad incumbents

• Safaricom: Kenya's largest mobile operator and creator of M-Pesa, the world's most successful mobile money platform. Comparable as a mobile operator that pioneered telecom-driven financial inclusion and rural connectivity in an emerging market, demonstrating the model Grameen Telecom applies in Bangladesh.
• bKash: Bangladesh's largest mobile financial services platform with tens of millions of accounts. Comparable to Grameen Telecom in providing mobile-enabled financial inclusion to rural Bangladesh through agent networks and micro-entrepreneurs, though focused on payments rather than voice communications.
• Banglalink: Mobile operator in Bangladesh with significant rural subscriber base, competing with Grameenphone for the same market. Comparable as another mobile operator whose direct service to rural Bangladesh represents the structural threat to Grameen Telecom's Village Phone intermediary model.
• Robi Axiata: Second-largest mobile operator in Bangladesh competing directly with Grameenphone for the same rural subscriber base. Comparable as a major Bangladeshi mobile operator serving the same market where Grameen Telecom's Village Phone operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Grameen Telecom