4 mobile operators apply for 2G licence renewal

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FE Report Four mobile operators have submitted their applications by the stipulated time to the telecom regulatory body for renewal of 2nd Generation (2G) Licence for next 15 years. Grameenphone, Robi and Citycell submitted their applications Monday and another operator Banglalink submitted the application Sunday as their existing licence tenure will expire on November 10 this year. Director General (Legal & Licencing Division) of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) AKM Shahiduzzaman received the applications from the representatives of the respective operators. He told the newsmen that the commission will evaluate their application by one week and then the operators will be asked to submit their required fees by 15 days of the notification. "We hope the operators who will be eligible for licence renewal will be given 2G renewed licence by November 10," he mentioned. According to the guidelines, the four mobile operators will have to pay Tk 37 billion (49 per cent) out of Tk 75.63 billion as first installment by first week of November. Of the amount, leading telecom operator Grameenphone have to pay Tk15.88 billion while Banglalink Tk 9.66 billion, Robi Tk 9.31 billion and Citycell Tk 2.20 billion. The remaining 51 per cent (almost Tk 38.58 billion) will have to be paid by next three years as per the guidelines.