Summer Reading free essay sample

The Silver Kiss * Canyons Title: The Bronx Masquerade Author: Nikki Grimes Point of view: First Person Setting-Time and Place: Present Day, in theBronx, NY All Main Characters and Descriptions * Tyrone Bittings: Dad Died, doesn’t like white individuals. * Chankara Troupe: Abused by her sweetheart, composes generally excellent sonnets. * Raul Ramirez: Painter, Writes an elegantly composed Zorro Poem. * Diondra Jordan: Painter, father needs her to play b-ball because of her tallness. * Devon Hope: Plays ball, however his preferred mystery side interest is perusing. Lupe Algarin: Wants to have a child, for somebody to adore her, and she never grins. * Gloria Martinez: Had an infant (B, Angel) father relinquished them, and its difficult work. * Janelle Battle: Smart, wants to peruse, plump, and low confidence. * Leslie Lucas: White, mother kicked the bucket, frightened of individuals of color, just companion is Porscha * Judianne Alexander: Abused by father, low confidence, and she is desirous of Lupe. * Tanisha Scott: Light Skinned, Long Hair, â€Å"caramel cutie†. We will compose a custom article test on Summer Reading or on the other hand any comparative theme explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page The vast majority are desirous. * Sterling Hughes: â€Å"Preacher† Believes in God strongly and plays the guitar. Amy Moskowitz: Has no companions, fears being harmed again since her mom kicked the bucket. * Sheila Gamboroni: Italian, Hates her light hair, needs her Africana name Natalia. * Steve Ericson: Wants to configuration sets on Broadway, is moving out of New York. * Raynard Patterson: Dyslexic doesn’t like to peruse, yet verse raised his confidence. * Porscha Jackson: Everyone thinks she is fierce b/c her mother manhandled her. Plot Summary: When a secondary school English instructor utilizes the technique for a verse hammer to carry his understudies to the acknowledgment that they are generally extraordinary and equivalent. That the shade of their skin doesn't make a difference, its their insight, and thriving that will take them puts throughout everyday life. Struggle: Each understudy needs something that an alternate understudy has. At the point when they take a gander at one another, they take a gander at what they have outwardly, however they don’t truly realize what each other has where it counts inside. They don’t think about each other’s characters. They don’t consider how hard it may be to be them. Subject: (if there is one) To be OK with yourself and drive forward until you arrive at your objectives. Title: The Silver Kiss Author: Annette Curtis Klause Perspective: Third Person Setting-Time and Place: 1990’s Chicago, Illinois All Characters and Descriptions * Zoe: (16) Black Hair, Gray Eyes, mother has malignant growth, father remains with mother, BFF is Lorraine. * Lorraine: Zoe’s Best Friend. Moving to Oregon Soon. * Zoe’s Mom: Always in the emergency clinic. Has bone disease. * Zoe’s Dad: Is consistently occupied with her mother, contends with Zoe a great deal. * Simon: (300) Zoe’s â€Å"crush† who is additionally a vampire. * Christopher: Simon’s more youthful sibling. Doesn’t like Zoe with Simon. Plot Summary: Zoe feels alone on the grounds that her whole life is self-destructing. Her mom is biting the dust of malignancy, her closest companion is moving out of state and she scarcely ever converses with her father any longer. In any case, at that point one night she meets Simon, a vampire. She in a split second becomes hopelessly enamored with him. At that point he uncovers to her that he was changed to a vampire over 300 years back when he was sixteen when he was seized by a linkboy that he followed home one night. Struggle: Simon needs to retaliate for his mother’s passing by murdering his younger sibling Christopher, who is additionally a vampire yet is within a young men body. Simon is too hesitant to even consider fighting Christopher without anyone else on the grounds that he is powerless. Be that as it may, he believes that Zoe can assist him with beating his sibling. Subject: (if there is one) No issue what you are experiencing, another person is experiencing something more terrible. Title: Canyons Author: Gary Paulson Point of View: First Person, Flashback Setting-Time and Place: 1860s and present day El Paso, Texas All Characters and Descriptions * Brennan Cole: Lives in El Paso, Texas with his mom. * Coyote Runs: An Apache kid who anticipates masculinity. He should endure a strike so as to be viewed as a man by his clan and family. * Magpie: An Apache man that loaned his horse to Coyote Runs to use during the assault. Sancta: The pioneer of the assault. * Bill: The minister that Brennan’s Mother is dating. Plot Summary: Canyons is a tale around two teenaged young men on an excursion. One day when Brennan goes outdoors, he feels something jabbing him from underneath his hiking bed. He uncovers the vermin to find that it is a human skull. Well piece of it. He cautiously looks at it finding that the back is missing and there is a slug opening in the focal point of the temple. He takes the skull to his previous science instructor Mr. Homesly. Mr. Homesly then uses his numerous associations with an end goal to extricate data relating to this find. At the point when Mr. Holmesly got the data from his companion he brought Brennan directly finished. Brennan remained up the whole evening perusing the cases for data. After much exploration he found that the skull was right around 250 years of age, and had a place with an apache kid, his age named Coyote Runs who went on an assault and didn’t endure. The police or the â€Å"bluebellies† shot him point clear in the temple. His masculinity was brief. Struggle: Brennan finds a human skull on an outdoors excursion and activities the entirety of the assist he with canning get the opportunity to discover who it has a place as well and why it was there in any case.

Analysis and Interpretation of the Research Data Dissertation

Investigation and Interpretation of the Research Data - Dissertation Example 4.2 Respondent’s Profiles Following is the point by point conversation on the profiles of the respondents that partook in the exploration and upheld to gather information through various methods i.e., poll, meetings and center gatherings. 4.2.1 Profile of Teachers Surveyed The viewpoint perspective on the school personnel at Willowbrook Primary School with respect to the issue of student’s conduct and control is of prime significance for this examination as the educators directly affect conduct and its administration. Along these lines these perspectives should be broke down. In a joint effort with the school the executives, so as to increase significant educator and carer information, assumption and experience related with conduct issues, a poll was created and conveyed to 20 in-teachers answerable for youngsters running from five years old to 11 years. The surveys were finished in the spare time of the instructors without bargaining their essential educating and study hall the board obligations. The destinations of the examination were disclosed before giving over the poll. Be that as it may, of the 20 polls appropriated, 17 were returned as well as esteemed substantial dependent on required fulfillment. Another endeavor was made to gathered the information from the rest of the staff; nonetheless, these were not returned. The motivation behind the survey was gain data on assessment of the school personnel on parts of student’s conduct and methodologies for the conduct the executives at essential level. The profile of the respondents is appeared underneath in table 4.1. All out Number of Staff Number of Teachers Surveyed Males Females Percentage of Teaching Staff Surveyed 20 17 7 10 85 Table 1 : Profile of Teaching Staff Surveyed Figure 1 : Percentage of Teaching Staff Surveyed Figure 2 : Gender Distribution of Teaching Staff Surveyed Besides the poll, an aggregate of six instructors were likewise talked with, which included three educator s having experience of 10 years or progressively, one over 5 years while two having experience under 1 year. Figure 3 : Experience of Teachers Interviewed 4.2.2 Profile of Students Surveyed Six understudies old enough running between six to eleven years, speaking to rise to extent of the two guys and females, were met as a major aspect of the review. The understudies were chosen since it was esteemed critical to get their perspectives on the order in schools and its administration. The understudies were chosen dependent on their age and formative stage empowering them to give sensible and clear reactions to the inquiries questions. The understudies were chosen dependent on the exhortation of school the executives. The parental substance was looked for preceding directing the meeting. The reactions of understudies during the meeting have been made piece of this examination and were given over to class the board to proceed with the investigation. The meeting for the most part engaged in deciding the student’s point of view on adequacy of remuneration and discipline framework and the job of instructors in dealing with the study hall conduct. Period of Students Surveyed Number of Students Surveyed Males Females 6 to 11 6 3 Table 2 : Profile of Students Surveyed Figure 4 : Gender Distribution of Students Surveyed 4.2.3 Profile of Parents Surveyed Although guardians have no immediate job in the executives of study hall and student’s conduct at school, they do play a significant contributory and steady job. They are associated with

How Do You Mic A Stripper

How Do You Mic A Stripper [by Harrison Bralower 11] I distinctly remember that question when I interviewed to be the Sound Designer for the Musical Theater Guilds (MTG) spring production of The Full Monty. Its a great question when you really think about it-how does one attach a microphone to a stripper without it looking too conspicuous? When youre not wearing anything in front of an audience of 200 they shouldnt be looking at a black box on the small of your back, if you know what I mean. MTG (and MITs other student theater groups) makes questions like these (and the mental images that inevitably follow) possible. Its only one of the many memories I took away from the show, memories that include chatting with the awesome new people I met and overcoming the frustration that comes with learning something new (I had never sound designed on my own before). But the production process isnt as easy as answering a few disarming questions and joking around with the case. It takes more than two months to put a show together around here and the payoff is six days of raw, naked glory (let me assure you that carefully lighted full-frontal nudity is neither commonplace nor a prominent feature of most of the shows done at MIT). Its a long, difficult road-from the first production meeting to the first rehearsal to load-in to the first tech to the last night. Just ask anyone associated with a show here or anywhere-theres always the worry that all the components wont come together (and they usually dont until the night the show opens). But its truly rewarding to start with 120 pieces of paper and infuse them with the unique visions of many individuals-to give life to words on a page. This is my experience from only one show but Ive got countless more that date back to my freshman year of high school. Theater is a wonderful experience in which you meet all kinds of people and experience all kinds of crazy stuff. And by working with the immensely talented and diverse people here at MIT I guarantee a wealth of memorable quotes and events from your days doing theater or any other artistic endeavor here. Have any questions about MIT (artistic or otherwise)? Or do you have an artistic experience youd like to share? Post it in the comments and strike up a discussion! Who knows-maybe youll remember it years from now.

SAFER Makes Safe to Walk in Space

Its like a scene from a science fiction movie nightmare: an astronaut is working outside a spacecraft in the vacuum of space when something happens. A tether breaks or maybe a computer glitch strands the astronaut too far from the ship. However it happens, the end result is the same. The astronaut ends up floating away from the spacecraft into the endless void of space, with no hope of rescue. Thankfully, NASA developed a device for space walking that keeps an astronaut safe while working outdoors to prevent such a scenario from happening in real life.   Safety for EVAs Space walks, or extravehicular activities (EVAs), are an important part of living and working in space. Dozens were needed just for the the assembly of the International Space Station (ISS).   Early missions by both the U.S. and Soviet Union also relied on space walks, with astronauts tethered to their spacecraft by lifelines. The space station cannot maneuver to rescue a free-floating EVA crew member, so NASA got to work to design a safety harness for astronauts who would be working around it without direct connections. Its called Simplified Aid For EVA Rescue (SAFER): a life jacket for space walks. SAFER is a self-contained maneuvering unit worn by astronauts like a backpack. The system relies on small nitrogen-jet thrusters to let an astronaut move around in space. Its relatively small size and weight allow for convenient storage on the station, and let EVA crew members put it on in the station’s airlock. However, the small size was achieved by limiting the amount of propellant it carries, meaning that it can only be used for a limited time. Its intended primarily for emergency rescue, and not as an alternative to tethers, and safety grips. Astronauts control the unit with a hand controller attached to the front of their space suits, and computers assist in its operation. The system has an automatic attitude hold function, in which the onboard computer helps the wearer maintain course. SAFERs propulsion is provided by 24 fixed-position thrusters that expel nitrogen gas and have a thrust of 3.56 Newtons (0.8 pounds) each. SAFER was first tested in 1994 aboard the space shuttle Discovery, when astronaut Mark Lee became the first person in 10 years to float freely in space. EVAs and Safety Space walking has come a long way since the early days. In June 1965, astronaut Ed White became the first American to conduct a space walk. His space suit was smaller than later EVA suits, since it did not carry its own oxygen supply. Instead, a hose to an oxygen supply on the Gemini capsule connected White. Bundled with the oxygen hose were electrical and communication wires and a safety tether. However, it quickly expended its supply of gas. On Gemini 10 and 11, a hose to a nitrogen tank aboard the spacecraft connected a modified version of the handheld device. This allowed the astronauts to use it for a longer period of time. The Moon missions had EVAs starting with Apollo 11, but these were on the surface, and required the astronauts wear full space suits. Skylab astronauts made repairs to their systems, but were tethered to the station. In later years, especially during the shuttle era, the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) was used as a way for an astronaut to jet around the shuttle. Bruce McCandless was the first to try one out, and the image of him floating free in space was an instant hit.   SAFER, which has been described as a simplified version of the MMU, has two advantages over the earlier system. It is a more convenient size and weight and ideal for an astronaut rescue device outside the Space Station. SAFER is a rare type of technology—the kind NASA built hoping that it wont be necessary to use it. So far, tethers, safety grips, and the robot arm have proved adequate to safely keep astronauts where they are supposed to be during space walks. But if they ever fail, SAFER will be ready.

Aid for Donor Interests Essay - 2684 Words

Lack of development in countries in the so-called `Third World has many political and economical reasons. Historians explain the inadequacy of developing countries with the early imperialism and the resulting colonization of the South. Exploitation of mineral resources, deforestation, slavery, and the adaptation of foreign policies shaped the picture of todays suffering and struggling civilizations and natural rich continents. The omission of concessions and equal negotiations between dependency and supremacy give rise to the contrast of enormous resources and immense poverty in developing countries is. In the last years the outcry of justice and the emancipation of the Third World became louder throughout developing and industrialized†¦show more content†¦Here the International Monetary Fund and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, later divided into the World Bank and Bank for International Settlement, were established. To regulate the international p olicy economy these institutions become known as the Bretton Woods institutions and became operational in 1946. The IMF, founded to stabilize countries currencies in relation to each other, holds money in trust, which member countries can borrow according to terms set by the institution. The World Bank instead gives more long-term loans and sells bonds to corporations and governments, which bind the issuer to pay the bondholder the amount of the loan plus interest. However, the countries taking advantage of the opportunity to borrow money to improve their affected economy are obliged to launch a set of policies, known as the Washington Consensus, which was first presented in 1989. The reforms introduced by the Institute for International Economics include deregulation, privatization, currency devaluation, social spending cuts, lower corporate taxes, export driven strategies, and removal of foreign investment restrictions . More, these loans are only granted when the countries agree to the adoption to a comprehensive programme of macro-economic stabilization and structural economic reform. The reason for keeping aid alive by the United States during and after the early history of todays debt problem,Show MoreRelatedRelationship Between Foreign Aid And Migration1414 Words   |  6 Pagesand Lebland discuss two hypotheses explaining the relation between immigration and foreign aid. They hypothesis that (1) donor countries use this foreign aid to ‘aid’ or to further their own individual immigration policy goals, and (2) migrants, who have already moved, lobby their new countries for an increase in aid to their home countries. Anti-immigration parties and policies have come out of developed donor nations including Austria, Denmark, and the Netherlands. This social unrest stems from immigrationRead MoreThe Disasters That Prove That Foreign Aid Has Done More Damage Than Good Essay1495 Words   |  6 Pages11 Disasters That Prove That Foreign Aid has done More Damage than Good in Africa From food aid to humanitarian aid and military assistance, foreign aid continues to flood Africa with the aim to enhance economic development and improve people s lives. But one of the questions that tangle curious economists like Cornell Ngare is that aren t there poor people in the west? And the obvious answer is yes there is. There are beggars on the streets of London, several homeless families living under theRead MoreThe Good Project Humanitarian Relief Ngos And The Fragmentation Of Reason1700 Words   |  7 Pagesmainly focuses on how organizations make decisions about how to allocate resources and the way to translate values and interests into practice. Relief is a form of production which is so-called a project, the project and the beneficiaries who helped by humanitarian relief agencies become a commodity. The exchange market exists since humanitarian relief agencies sell projects to donors in a quasi-market that givers and products in the business are symbolically differentiated to match receiver preferencesRead MoreInternational Aid Allocation : The Path For Global Success1151 Words   |  5 PagesInternational Aid Allocation: The Path to Global Success From the origins of large-scale international humanitarian projects in the post-World War I period to current global aid allocation programs, scholars in the field of international aid have focused on the motives behind countries’ generous donations to their underdeveloped counterparts. Myriad studies, regardless of the time frame they encompass, make reference to the moral obligation rich nations have to help the poorest countries. In thisRead MoreThe Beginning Of Foreign Aid Essay1505 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction: 1.The beginning of Foreign Aid All human beings regardless of their background require a set of resources to survive. These are food, water, shelter and clothing in addition to this, healthcare, education and sanitation are also essential for a person’s wellbeing. In 1949 Truman’s Inaugural Address â€Å"we must embark on a bold new program for making the benefits of our scientific advances and industrial progress available for the improvement and growth of underdeveloped areas† raisedRead MoreEthical Considerations Behind New Alternatives to Abortion.1566 Words   |  7 Pagesissue of AID or Artificial Insemination Donor. Many questions arise due to this artificial donor, such as who is legally the father of the child? Should the father be allowed visitation rights to child? The questions all arise in different cases which shall be discussed. Another issue in regarding the AID is whether the donor is anonymous or through a chosen donor. In the case of RE Adoption of Anonymous in 1973, the ethical consideration of who is the legal father in a consensual AID case. TheRead MoreExplanation For Third Wave African Democracy After The Cold War1736 Words   |  7 Pages(depending on which definition of democracy one accepts) in only a span of six years (Diamond 1997, 2). This seemed unusual because, prior to this period, it seemed as though authoritarian regimes were a permanent fixture in African states, and Western donor states were perfectly happy to support those regimes (2005, 179). This period of rapid transition to democracy has been termed the ‘third wave’ of democracy (ibid). The mystery that has plagued many scholars through this time has been: why did thisRead MoreGlobal Institutions are the Solution to Global Poverty Essay1639 Words   |  7 Pagesultimately provide for the greater good in aid to prevent world poverty. The argument put forward by both philosophers against non-governmental orga nizations is challenging as they â€Å"can never be the primary agents of justice and aid in the long run for several reasons† (Brooks 435) because they are not accountable for their actions and aims, they are dependent on donor countries, and the aid they give is subject to what the ruler of the country receiving aid wants. Most rulers in developing countriesRead MoreForeign Assistance For Foreign Aid1523 Words   |  7 PagesAlthough foreign aid has been going on for hundreds of years, it still remains a controversial topic. Many people have debated whether or not it actually either helps or harms nations. Foreign aid can help undeveloped states by providing education and health care. However, a drawback to foreign aid is that it can cause countries to become dependent and lead to corruption. Foreign aid is effective when countries don t try to use foreign aid for their own benefit and when coordination and accountabilityRead MoreHumanitarianism Is A Complex Task958 Words   |  4 Pagesorganizations â€Å"must be in certain areas that the donors are paying attention to.† These organizations are essentially controlled by financial interests. MSF, a pure humanitarian organization, can operate in volatile regions. Certain donors might not see real value in placing their money in uncertainty that an unstable region presents. NGOs dependent on donor financing will not be able to adequately support the people of these regions who are in dire need of aid. In continuing to define pure humanitarianism

Origin of the Flute Free Essays

Origins of the flute date back to the stone age. Known as the first ever wind instrument, most of the flutes were end blown flutes and looked like our modern day recorder. What could be considered the first flute was found in China and was called the â€Å"ch-ie†. We will write a custom essay sample on Origin of the Flute or any similar topic only for you Order Now The egyptians and Sumerians were the first to add finger holes so that we were able to produce different notes. Before then, it was made of animal bones with a carved out embouchure. Ancient greeks also played the flute (an end blown flute) however it was known as the instrument of the common man and was often looked down upon. During the fall of the roman empire, the flute seemingly disappeared from the west (Europe). It is likely that the flute was brought back to Europe during the Byzantine Empire from Asia where it’s traditions are longstanding. It was only during the 16th century (renaissance era) where the prototype or ancestor of the flute that we know of today was widely used. Until the 18th century, flutes were referred to pipe instruments that were both horizontal and vertical. A German court orchestra flutist by the name of Theobald Boehm presented what would be the modern day flute in 1847 at the Paris exhibition. He incorporated ideas from his colleagues and most notably, from Frederick Nolan who made use of the ring keys in 1808. In 1832, he (Theobald Boehm) built a flute based on logical acoustic placement instead of the easiest fingering. He also linked certain keys to each other. This lead to a new fingering that ended up being easier than its last. In 1847, felt pads were added to prevent leaking air, pin springs were added, the shape of the embouchure was changed and the flute was made of silver. This new flute was well received in the USA, France and England. However, in Germany, Russia and Italy, flutists were close-minded and didn’t want to accept the change of fingering despite the fact that the new design won many awards. Eventually, Boehm’s flute came into common use and has undergone minimal changes from then on. The flute, or what was called the flute back then, has been used since the middle ages. Used for the court and sometimes the military, it was often paired with the drum. During the renaissance era different ensembles were commonly heard together. The â€Å"flute consort† which consists of three different sized transverse flutes (horizontal flutes, like the ones today) and the â€Å"broken consort† which was made of the viola, lute and flute. During the end of the 17th century, solo flute works began to rise in popularity along with the excessive ornamentation of the baroque style. How to cite Origin of the Flute, Papers

The Telecommunication Sector in Bangladesh Essay Example

The Telecommunication Sector in Bangladesh Essay Asian Development Bank IDCOL Analogue Mobile Phone Systems Bangladesh Broadcasting Telephone Technology Bangladesh Association of Software Information Services IPRs BCC BCS BOO BOT BRTA Bangladesh Computer Council ISPs Bangladesh Computer Samity IT Build, Own and Operate ITU Build, Operate and Transfer ITX Bangladesh Rural Telecommunication Authority Bangladesh Telegraph Telephone Board Commonwealth Development Corporation Code Division Multiplex Access OECF CeBIT An Information Technology and Telecommunication Fair (Held annually in Hanover) Canadian International Development Agency China National Machinery and Equipment Import and Export Corporation UK Department for International Development Executive Committee of the National Economic Council Export Promotion Bureau TRIPS FBC GDP GIS GOB GP GSM IDA First Bangladesh Consulting Ltd. Gross Domestic Product Geographical Information Systems Government of Bangladesh GrameenPhone Ltd. Global Systems for Mobile International Development Agency VAT VOIP VSAT WIPO Trade Related Aspects of the Intellectual Property Rights Value Added Tax Voice Over Internet Protocol Very Small Aperture Terminal World Intellectual Property Organisation World Trade Organisation Overseas Economic Co-operation Fund of Japan Pacific Bangladesh Telecom Limited Private Sector Participation Public Switched Telephone Networks Personal Hand-phone System Paging Radio Trunk Subscribers TM International (Bangladesh) Technology Resources Industries Bhd. MHz MOPT International Telecommunications Union International Trunk Exchange MegaHertz Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications Memorandum of Understanding Nation-wide Dialing Information Technology Internet Service Providers IFC IIFC BASIS Infrastructure Development Company Limited International Finance Corporation Infrastructure Investment Facilitation Center Intellectual Property Rights BTTB CDC MOU NWD CDMA PBTL PSP PSTN CIDA CMEC PHS PRTS TMIB DFID ECNEC TRI EPB WTO Telecommunications and IT Sector in Bangladesh Page 5 LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES Figure 1. 1 Figure 2. 1 Figure 6. 1 We will write a custom essay sample on The Telecommunication Sector in Bangladesh specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Telecommunication Sector in Bangladesh specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Telecommunication Sector in Bangladesh specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Telecommunication Status in Bangladesh as of December 2000 Organizational Structure of the Telecom Sector Profile of Private Capital Inflows and outflows in the Telecommunications Sector 5 6 14 Table 2. 1: Table 3. 1: Table 5. 1: A Quick Look at the Telecom Scene in Bangladesh and its Asian Neighbours BTTB Expansion Programme Telecommunication Operators in Bangladesh 8 10 13 Telecommunications and IT Sector in Bangladesh Page 6 1. THE SIZE AND NATURE OF THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SECTORS An Overview The current state of the telecommunications and information technology infrastructure in Bangladesh is extremely poor, with only 0. 6 telephones per 100 people. Not even 10% of the population has access to a telephone, not to speak of their owning one. Ironically, the country was the first among its Asian neighbours to open up the sector to private sector investments about a decade ago, but it has now fallen far behind some of its neighbours in reforming the telecom sector. Since telecommunications provide the backbone for information technology, the growth of the IT sector is naturally constrained. The country has made significant progress in some major areas such as food supply, and has become almost self-sufficient in food. With an increase in general economic growth over the recent years, the acute shortages of basic infrastructure facilities like telecom and IT are increasingly felt by a larger percentage of the electorate. So, it is expected that soon after the impending general election is over, the new Government will get on with longawaited reforms of the sector, and gradually open up the sector fully to the private sector. Consequently, significant investment opportunities may open up for European SME investors. The Government’s declared intention is to increase the number of telephones by one million within next 2-3 years, and significantly improve the quality of the telecom network to give needed support to the IT sector which has been declared as a â€Å"thrust sector† that accords many fiscal incentives to the sector. Potential investors, however, must be aware things often do not happen very quickly in Bangladesh and other developing countries. So, they have to be patient and persistent in reaching success. Opportunities are likely to emerge in almost all facets of telecom and IT, including network equipment, terminal equipment, design and delivery of the whole gamut of telecom and IT services, consulting, training, and management services, and the European SME investors will be welladvised to develop appropriate strategy for targeting this market. With a population of 130 million, Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries in the world but its telecommunications and information infrastructure is among the weakest in Asia. At the end of 2000, only about 837,000 telephones were in service implying a teledensity of about 0. 6 telephones per 100 people. Almost 200,000 potential customers are currently on the waiting list for telephone service. The status of telecommunications in Bangladesh at a glance is provided in Table 1. 1. Table 1. 1 Telecommunication Status in Bangladesh as of December 2000 Number of Telephones BTTB (Govt. Telephone Board) Private Operators (including cellular phones) Density of Telephone Registered Pending Demand International Voice Circuits International Trunk Exchanges (ITX) Total International Circuits Nation Wide Dialling Circuits (NWD) Network Digitalisation VSAT Service Providers Internet Service Providers (ISPs) Source: BTTB and private telecom operators 837,000 527,000 310,000 0. 6% 192,100 2,107 3 4,000 23,000 80% gt; 50 gt; 100 The share of post and telecommunication sector in the country’s GDP, however, increased from 0. 62% in 1994-95 to 0. 84% in 1998-99. Telecommunications and IT Sector in Bangladesh Page 7 2. REVIEW OF PRINCIPAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SUBSECTORS Figure 2. 1 below broadly portrays the rather complicated organizational structure of the telecom sector. MOPT is the policy making body of the Government of Bangladesh (GOB) for telecommunications. In the absence of a formal regulator, MOPT is also responsible for 2. 1 Telecommunications Sub-Sector Currently, the telecom sector in Bangladesh is dominated company, by a state-owned telephone and Bangladesh Telegraph pectrum management, and regulation of BTTB and private sector rural and cellular operators. The value-added service providers such as VSAT and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are also supposed to be regulated by MOPT. Besides a government-owned a cable is telephone handset manufacturing and PBXs assemb ly company (TSS), and manufacturing virtually no company other (CSS), telecom there Telephone Board (BTTB), which has a virtual monopoly in fixed line telephone service, and which enjoys monopoly rights in domestic long distance and international (terrestrial) services. Gradual privatisation of the sector started in 1992 when Bangladesh Rural equipment manufacturing activity in Bangladesh. Although MOPT is the formal regulator of BTTB, it apparently does not have any power to regulate BTTB tariffs, which are supposed to be approved by the Ministry of Finance. Moreover, major spending decisions of BTTB, for expansion or maintenance of the network, have to be approved by the Planning Telecommunications Authority (BRTA) was licensed to provide telecommunications to 200 rural districts, followed by a second operator sometime later. But these two companies had only limited success and poor levels of interconnection with the BTTB network. Figure 2. 1 ECNEC Planning Commission Private Sector Value-Added and Internet Service Providers Ministry of Finance MOPT Private Sector Cellular and Rural Telephone Operators Policy Regulation Spectrum Management (FWB) MOPT Legend BTTB Ministry of Post and Telecommunications Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board Telephone Shilpa Sangstha Executive Committee of the National Economic Council Cable Shilpa Sangstha Frequency Wireless Board CSS BTTB TSS TSS ECNEC Voice Data CSS FWB Telecommunications and IT Sector in Bangladesh Page 8 Commission, and ECNEC, operating under the Prime Minister’s Office. BTTB is mostly concerned with voice over 300,000 telephone lines in rural and urban Bangladesh, 90% of which are cellular mobile and radio operator trunking phones, with GrameenPhone, the most successful private sector (www. grameenphone. com) claiming to now have some over 200,000 customers. Since there is still a large unmet demand for telephone lines, this sector has very large potential for expansion and is expected to attract considerably more investment from both large and small investors, once some telephony. It has a small data services group with useful capacity, but BTTB does not actively market its services. It also offers Internet access to about 3,500 users, many internal. The proposed National Telecommunication Policy of 1998, which is yet to be fully adopted by the Government through a new Telecommunications Act, called for mobilisation of both public and private sector resources to develop the telecommunications sector, and increasing private sector participation (PSP). In addition to BTTB, there are at present seven private sector operators licensed to provide basic telecom services and value added services including paging and cellular services. They include, as stated earlier, two rural operators; Systems one Analogue based Mobile cellular Phone service (AMPS) However, expansion in the sector is still highly constrained by the constant difficulties experienced by the Bangladesh Telephone and Telegraph Board (BTTB) to provide the necessary inter-connectivity, with one complete collapse of the network having been experienced in 2000, which resulted in all of the subscribers being cut off. fundamental policy decisions such setting up a telecom regulatory body, and allowing private sector to set up an alternate long-distance network within the country, etc. are taken and implemented. BTTB has unsuccessfully proposed several transmission link upgrade projects valued at US$152 million, including fibre optics, digital spur links and digital microwave links, all of which have failed due to funding constraints. However, BTTB has also requested the Government to arrange funds from selected donors, including the World Bank, who would prefer to see the projects offered to the private sector. The absence of an independent regulatory body is seen as an impediment to greater private sector investment in the telecom sector. The Government of Bangladesh has realised that the country is lagging significantly behind some of its Asian neighbours (as portrayed in company that is providing cellular mobile Opening up of the telecommunications sector has already created considerable interest from overseas firms who would like to run mobile cellular networks, operate rural telephone exchanges, provide paging and trunking facilities and become internet service providers. service to subscribers in Dhaka and Chittagong, and also providing Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) service to both Dhaka and Chittagong. There are also three GSM cellular companies that operate in Dhaka, Chittagong, and Khulna, while paging and radio trunking telephone services are provided by a single operator in Dhaka, Chittagong, and Khulna. Till December, 2000, these private operators appear to have installed Telecommunications and IT Sector in Bangladesh Page 9 Table 2. A Quick Look at the Telecom Scene in Bangladesh and its Asian Neighbours Competition in Country Independent Regulat or No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Fix ed Cellul ar NL D1 Internation al No Yes No 7 IS P Ye s Ye s Ye s Ye s Ye s Ye s Ye s Ye s Do minant Operator VOIP Lega l? Separatio n of Policy and Regulatio n No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Teledensit 2 y Privatisation in 3 Progress Banglade sh India Pakistan Sri Lanka Nepal Thailand Malaysia China No Ye s No Ye s Ye s Ye s Ye s Ye s 7 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Ye s No 7 Govt. Govt. Corp. Govt. Corp. Govt. Corp. Privatised4 Govt. Corp. 5 Privatised 4 6 No No No ? ? Yes ? 6 0. 6 3+ 4+ 4+ 1+ 4+ 22+ 20+ No Yes Yes Yes Yea Yes Yes Not fully 6 Ye s Ye s Ye s Ye s Ye s Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 6 Govt. Corp. Yes 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Nationwide long distance service on fixed line phones. The world average is 11 +, and the developed country average is about 55. Privatisation of current/former government monopolies in telecom services. Privatised former govt. monopoly. Privatisation in progress. Autonomous corporation. Monopoly expires in 2002. Sources: ITU website, and websites of regulators or dominant operators of the relevant countries. Note: The table is quoted from a market study commissioned through IIFC by MOPT and conducted by CanadaBangladesh Infrastructure Consultants of Ottawa, Canada. in April 2001 Table 2. ) in building a telecom infrastructure suitable for giving thrust to the IT sector. So, recent Government telecommunications policy includes long-term plans to privatise BTTB and to install fibre optic and microwave links. The Bangladesh Government recently announced plans to increase the number of telephone lines to 1. 3 million by the year 2002, and to 1. 6 million by 2005. 2. 2 Information Technology (IT) Sub-Sector The IT sector in Bangladesh is relatively small compared to other South Asian and South East Asian countries, such as India, Pakistan, Philippines and Sri Lanka. However, it is believed that this sector could have considerable growth potential, if it were to receive better support from the Government. Consequently, it may offer increasing opportunities to small and medium sized investors from Europe. Up to now, IT investment in Bangladesh has mostly been confined to information processing by Bangladeshi firms who developed business alliances with international firms, mostly from America, for data entry, medical forms processing etc. However, growth has proven to be very slow, on account of the poor infrastructure in Bangladesh for information technology, which includes poor connectivity, high costs of data transmission, poor productivity, lack of trained programmers and Following intense lobbying from the Bangladesh business community, the Government of Bangladesh has now declared information technology to be a Thrust Sector. This in practice means that IT should be given the highest level of support from the government, in the form of zero customs duty on import of IT equipment, and other fiscal incentives. Telecommunications and IT Sector in Bangladesh Page 10 managers, and poor market promotion by Bangladeshi firms. Several European companies, over the last five years or so are known to have considered investment in this sector in Bangladesh, as they sought to source reliable and cheaper information processing services. One result of declaring IT as a Thrust Sector, is that duties on both computers and components imports have been eliminated, which has already led to reductions in retail prices of up to 40% on assembled computers. The weak telecommunications infrastructure is also starting to be strengthened as the government has opened up installation of very small aperture terminals (VSATs) to the private sector, in order to make the use of the Internet cheaper and to lower the cost of data transmission to allow Bangladeshi information processing services to compete with other Asian countries. Since March 2000, there are no longer any restrictions on getting licenses from BTTB for the installation of VSATs and the annual license fee has been reduced from US$8,000 to US$3,500. The Government is also investing in a digital data network, which will enable Internet service providers to increase transmission speeds from 128 kilobits per second to two megabits per second. The annual domestic technology, market which size for information includes omputer hardware, peripherals and software was estimated by the US Embassy in Dhaka to be worth about US$20 million a year, which is rapidly increasing at a rate of about 25% per year. There are approximately 200,000 desktop PCs in Bangladesh with sales dominated by locally assembled clones, with many local computer assemblers importing mother boards, with most components from either Taiwan or South Korea. Vendors are now targeting small offices and home users. The growing number of computer training schools that are now operating in One particular area of interest for Europeans is geographical information systems (GIS), which are key components in various environmental impact assessment studies needed for project development as well as for project planning. Since high levels of data entry and data management are key components of GIS, European firms wishing to offer these services in Bangladesh, try to develop business collaboration with local partners. In many cases, the European partner may supply key specialised equipment for digitising plus training to use it. Bangladesh is expected to rapidly increase the number of computer personnel available. Since the introduction of Internet services in Poor data communications infrastructure has been responsible for very little European investment in Bangladesh, in either software development or in computing services. Moreover, software piracy has also been a major deterrent to investment in this area. Strong pressure is now being put by foreign governments for the final implementation of the strong intellectual property rights (IPR) laws. These laws, which have been needed for some time, are endlessly debated by the Government of Bangladesh, but have not been implemented to date. 1996, a growing number of businesses and individuals have been buying computers for their communication needs. Management is also being strengthened in a number of IT firms as many young Bangladeshis, who have studied and worked in both North America and Europe, have returned home and set up companies in Bangladesh. To date no software or computing services firm has received ISO 9000 certification, or Telecommunications and IT Sector in Bangladesh Page 11 even attempted to obtain it. This puts Bangladesh at a competitive disadvantage against neighbouring countries such as India, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, where an increasing number of firms are obtaining certification. 3. LIST OF MAJOR LOCAL COMPANIES AND REVIEW OF THEIR EXISTING COLLABORATIONS WITH FOREIGN FIRMS 3. 1 Telecommunications 3. 1. 1 Public sector telecommunications The Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board (BTTB) is the main operator of telephone services in Bangladesh and has until recently maintained a monopoly position on domestic wire services, international (terrestrial) and satellites, with all international dialing being retained as a Government monopoly. In 1983, BTTB started to install a national automatic long distance telephone dialing system to link all major cities of the country and by June 1997, some 100 stations including all 64-district headquarters and 10 Thana headquarters and 36 Thanas were brought under this system. In order to meet the broad objective of the National Telecommunication Policy of 1998, which sets a target to substantially increase the number of telephone lines in service by 2010, BTTB has tried to plan a number of programmes to increase its telephone capacity, replace and modernise existing exchanges. However, BTTBs development plans have been considerably constrained by lack of financial resources. The ongoing BTTB expansion programme to allow Bangladesh to raise its telephone Table 3. 1 BTTB Expansion Programme Name of Programme and Major Equipment Vendor 00,000 lines digital telephone project with Bond Financing ALCATEL Installation of 39,000 lines in Chittagong with French funding, ALCATEL SADE Progra mme for 7 district headquarters by Italtel Linea Greater Dhaka (Phase – II) telephone project (OECF funding from Japan), Ericsson 140,000 lines digital telephone lines at district headquarters (Suppliers credit from China) Emergency Expansion of 6 NEC Digital exchanges in Dhaka Installation of 2000 line digital exchange at Feni (Italtel Linea) Digital exchange at Narayanganj and Sirajganj under RR Program (Italtel Lines UT Model) Installation of digital exchanges at Chapai Nawabganj, Naogaon and Thakurgaon Total Telephone Exchange Capacity Replacement 66,000 8,860 9,900 17,000 40,000 Expansion 134,000 30,140 10,600 50,500 100,000 12,000 1,600 5,700 1,200 150,260 400 2,300 1,800 370,740 Total 200,000 39,000 20,500 67,500 140,000 12,000 2,000 8,000 3,000 521,000 Source: Telecommunications in Bangladesh. Paper presented by Fazlur Rahman of Multi Media, at the Workshop on Internet: South Asian Realities and Opportunities, Dhaka, April 5-8, 1999 Telecommunications and IT Sector in Bangladesh Page 12 capacity to at least 1,000,000 lines by the year 2000, was presented at the Workshop on the Internet: South Asian Realities and Opportunities held in Dhaka from April 5-8, 1999, and is given above in Table 3. 1 BRTA, after winning the concession to provide rural telephone services, developed a relationship with Nokia from Finland, who took total responsibility under a turnkey contract to provide digital linkages to 165 rural headquarters. In turn, Nokia then developed business collaboration with Cosmos Marketing Consultants to provide management and operational support. Ericsson has in 2000 signed a five year contract with TM International (Bangladesh) Ltd (TMIB) for the upgrading of their GSM cellular network. TMIB, who hold a 15 year licence to build, own, operate and maintain a GSM network in Bangladesh, launched their network in 1997 using an infrastructure supplied by Alcatel. At the moment, there is somewhat of a stand-off between the Government of Bangladesh (GOB) and the World Bank. The World Bank wants GOB to appoint an â€Å"independent† regulator for the telecom sector before any further reforms are introduced. But GOB has not agreed to this condition so far, and consequently, the World Bank has put on hold any further funding by the Bank, to support the growth of the telecom sector. In 1996, in order to develop international VSAT services to facilitate global high-speed data communications for their subscribers, BTTB made an agreement with Pakistan Datacom to install and operate VSATs in Bangladesh on a 5 year BOT (Build, Operate Transfer) basis. Under this arrangement Pakistan Datacom contracted to supply, install, operate and maintain VSATs in Bangladesh on behalf of BTTB and by mid 1997, five subscribers were given VSAT data based circuits, with subscribers being charged a fixed monthly rent for each VSAT circuit. BTTB had been forced to develop a number of operational collaborations to allow not only an enlargement of the current system but to maintain and upgrade the existing system, as could be seen in Table 3. 1. 3. 1. 2 Private sector telecommunications Seven licenses have already been awarded and are listed in Table 5. 1 in Section 5. The responsibility for rural telecommunication services was entrusted to two local private operators, Integrated the Services Bangladesh Limited, with Rural rural Telecommunication Authority (BRTA) and Bangladesh being equally divided between the two operators. In November 1999, the BTTB signed a contract with the China National Machinery and Equipment Import and Export Corporation (CMEC) valued at US$ 213 million, which gave CMEC the responsibility to upgrade in the 58 telecommunications infrastructure The two Code Division Multiplex Access (CDMA) networks that were launched in 1999 by the Pacific Bangladesh Telecom Limited to cover Dhaka and Chittagong, were totally supplied and supported by Motorola from the United States through their Network Solutions Division. districts in Bangladesh, while 2 months earlier another contract, valued at approximately US$ 58 million, was awarded to the Pakistan Telecom Foundation, in collaboration with the Telephone Industries Pakistan to install an additional 55,000 telephone lines in Bangladesh by the end of 2000. Telecommunications and IT Sector in Bangladesh Page 13 Finally in 2000, breaking the fixed telephone line monopoly position of the BTTB, the Bangladesh concession, Government which will has a llow awarded a WorldTel activities of the Bangladesh branch of the GSM World Association can be found on their Web site at: www. gsmworld. com/gsminfo/cou_bd. tm Limited from the United Kingdom to supply a complete telephone system to Dhaka with 300,000 digital lines on a build own operate (BOO) basis. The system, which is expected to be operational in 2003, and designed to be expanded to 500,000 lines, would then compete with BTTB. However, recent reports indicate that WorldTel is finding it difficult to finalise the deal. WorldTel, which operates from London with a branch office in Geneva, is a private sector development company that had been created by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) in Geneva to develop and finance telecommunications in developing countries on a commercial basis. WorldTel specific develops systems strategic alliances with Constant problems of interconnection with BTTB, have forced private operators to seek their own transmission network, including using the Bangladesh Railways Fibre Optic network for cellular service. GrameenPhone Limited (GP) after taking out a long lease on the fibre optic cable network that the Bangladesh Railways developed along the entire length of their railway tracks has since been upgraded. This has provided GrameenPhone with a ready made transmission network that covers the whole of Bangladesh and has helped them expand their services along the entire railway route. As a result, GrameenPhone is now expanding its customer base by almost 20,000 a month. Of course, due to lack of adequate interconnection capability of BTTB, most of the new Grameen customers can communicate only with other Grameen customers. uppliers and equipment suppliers to design build and operate their system and could well represent potential busin ess opportunities for European investors in the telecommunications sector. Cellular mobile telephone services were first introduced into Bangladesh by Pacific Bangladesh Telecom Limited (PBTL), a joint venture partnership that is owned by the local conglomerate, the Pacific Group, in 1989 using an Analogue Mobile Phone System (AMPS), though more recently they have changed and are now using Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) technology. The other three Operators Grameen Phone Limited (GP), TM International (Bangladesh) (TMIB) and Sheba Telecom are providing Cellular service with GSM technology. Private operators offer the mobile, paging and the radio trunking services. Private operators are also given license to operate digital exchanges at rural Thana headquarters. Details about their The other two cellular operators are also constructing their own microwave links along the Dhaka to Chittagong highway. 3. 2 Information Technology From the field survey it was possible to identify the most important Bangladeshi Computer Companies, those who export and those who are seeking to strike strategic alliances. A few organisations and some individuals have been exporting Software and Data Processing services. Despite their best efforts, the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) is still unable to procure documented evidence of the actual exports Bangladesh has made. Nonetheless, among the firms/organisations which have Telecommunications and IT Sector in Bangladesh Page 14 exported IT services are CITech (Computer Information Technology Co); Computer Collaboration in information technology is mostly based on licensing agreements and representation. A growing number of computer training schools are being opened, including one sponsored by Microsoft. 5. EUROPEAN AND OTHER FOREIGN FIRMS PRESENT IN THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND There are now about one hundred companies that are members of the Bangladesh Computer Samity (BCS), many of which are headed by young professionals, who after completing their studies in Europe and North America then returned to Bangladesh and created their own companies. At the present development stage of the IT sector, these professionals are well aware of their shortcomings and are conscious that they require know-how and technology, and so are interested in seeking strategic alliances with European firms. Solutions Limited; ANIRBAN; IBCS-Primax; BRAC; NACD, FBC and Machine-Dialogue. However, the total volume of such export is negligible. According to the recent data available from EPB, computer software and data processing services worth, US$ 15 million were exported during the year 1998-99. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SUBSECTORS As indicated earlier, there are already a number of European and other foreign Table 5. 1 Telecommunication Operators in Bangladesh Operator Pacific Bangladesh Telecom Limited Bangladesh Telecom (Pvt. ) Limited Foreign Collaborator/Ve ndor Motorola Area of Operation Cellular Radio Telephone Service Radio Paging, Radio Trunking and Riverine Telecommuni cation Services Rural Telecom Service Digital Cellular Mobile Radio Telephone Services, and Rural Telecom Service Digital Cellular Mobile Radio Telephone Services Several of the most promising, who are listed in Appendix 3, have been regularly sponsored by both the United Nations and bilateral funds to attend the CeBIT information technology fair in Hanover, Germany, as well as the Softworld fair in Canada. 4. FORMS OF CO-OPERATION Bangladesh Rural Telecom Authority Sheba Telecom Limited Nokia All the seven telecom licencees to date have either foreign private operators as partners or foreign equipment suppliers. All foreign private operators have entered the market by way of joint ventures, even though in accordance with the GOB private sector investment guidelines, they could have taken 100% equity stake in a telecom operating company. Most foreign investors believe that they need a local partner to help them through the regulatory process with MOPT, while most local groups did not feel they had sufficient technical skills or financial resources to operate on their own. Bangladesh Broadcasting Telephone Technology (BBTT) TM International (Bangladesh) GrameenPhone Consortium Joint venture between Integrated Services Ltd. and Technology Resources Industries Bhd (Malaysia) A joint venture among Telenor (Norway), Grameen Bank, Marubeni Corporation (Japan) and Gonofone (US) Ericsson; A joint venture between Telecom Malaysia and A. K. Khan Group Digital Cellular Mobile Radio Telephone Services Personal Hand-phone System (PHS) [Not commissione d yet] Source: Telecommunications in Bangladesh by Fazlur Rahman cited in Table 3. 1 Telecommunications and IT Sector in Bangladesh Page 15 companies present in Bangladesh, as operators, where they work in joint venture with local firms and as suppliers of equipment. Table 5. 1 above lists the telecom licensees, a number of which have foreign partners or foreign vendors. Although there are a number of European investors who may have a significant presence in this sector, a large part of it appears to be dominated by investors from North America. Tyco Submarine Systems Limited of the US underwater fibre optic cable between mport duties were eliminated, it boosted computer imports substantially and led to large retail price reductions. However in the telecommunications sector, import duties and taxes on telecom equipment and phones are still very high at 60%. Figure 6. 1 Projected Private Capital Flow s in the Telecom Sector Bangladesh and Singapore, which would allow Bangladesh access to the global underwater telecommunications cable network that passes through Singapore. This will then give Bangladesh world-wide connectivity into the data superhighway. The underwater fibre optic cable that would cover some 3200 kilometres between Bangladesh and Singapore, is Years: 2000-2010 0 has signed an MOU with the GOB to lay an 20 40 60 US$ Million Inf low Source: The World Bank Outf low expected to cost about US$150 million and to be completed by the year of 2002. 7. 6. ANALYSIS OF IMPORT AND EXPORT FLOWS The World Bank believes that considerable foreign exchange is earned by Bangladesh on account of the revenue sharing arrangements that BTTB has with international operators. However, the World Banks study on FDI in Bangladesh gives the following projections of private capital inflows and outflows in telecommunications investment between 19992000 and 2009-2010, which are given below in