Bids for VoIP licences to be floated next week

FE Team | Published: September 24, 2007 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

M Azizur Rahman
Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) will float tender by next week for issuing licenses under the International Long Distance Telecommunication Service (ILDTS) Policy-2007 to open up the voice over internet protocol (VoIP) services to the private sector.
"The licenses will be issued in four categories -- international gateway (IGW) operator license, interconnection exchange (ICX) operator license, internet exchange (IX) operator license and internet protocol (IP) telephony license - to legalise VoIP for making international calls," a senior BTRC official told the FE Sunday.
He said the IGW, ICX and IX licenses will be issued to the local companies, registered under Joint Stock Company Act, 1994, through open auction.
While the IP telephony licenses will be issued only to the internet service providers (ISPs), said the BTRC official.
The government approved the ILDTS Policy-2007 in August for opening up the VoIP services to private sector and check illegal VoIP operation across the country.
As per the ILDTS policy the IGW operators would facilitate voice and data transfer across the globe having connected with the submarine cable and ICX.
ICX will bridge interconnection with the IGW and the IP telephony operators, while the IP telephony operators will provide services to the end-users through ICX.
The BTRC will provide three IGWs and two ICXs licenses through auctions among the private operators, BTRC sources said.
Under the ICX licenses six exchanges will be set up across the country - two in Dhaka and one each in Chittagong, Sylhet, Bogra and Khulna.
One Internet Exchange (IX) license will also be offered to private sector to facilitate internet services home and abroad.
Two exchanges will be installed - one in Dhaka another in Chittagong - to facilitate data transfer to the IP telephony operators.
No foreign company or foreign joint venture will be entitled to apply for IGW or ICX licensees.
Even the non-resident Bangladeshis' business outfits will be eligible for these licenses, he added.
The existing IGW, ICX and IX licenses of the state-owned Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board (BTTB) will remain valid but it will have to obtain license from the BTRC under the same conditions.
The government will not provide any fresh very small aperture terminal (VSAT) licenses under the ILDTS policy and the existing VSATs would be shut down in phases.
The ILDTS policy aims at wooing local investors, creating employment opportunities, upgrading client service standards and expanding substantially use of internet across the country, said sources.