The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has published a significant update on its guidelines, giving mobile network operators (MNOs) a greater flexibility in data package offering and promoting digital inclusion across the country.
The most notable change is the elimination of the product count limit, which previously restricted operators to offering a maximum of 40 products.
With this revision, the MNOs are now free to offer an unlimited number of data packages based on customer demand, with no restrictions on the volume or validity of these packages, according to directives issued on Sunday.
This change allows operators to tailor their offering more precisely to customer preferences, ensuring that data packages align better with diverse needs.
In a bid to ensure that digital services reach more people, the BTRC has also introduced a digital inclusion initiative.
The MNOs are now instructed to provide 200 MB of free data per month to all active mobile numbers.
This initiative, which is optional for users, aims to expand access to the internet and digital services,
particularly for underserved populations.
Taimur Rahman, chief corporate and regulatory affairs officer at Banglalink, welcomed these changes, stating, "We appreciate initiatives by the regulator to reduce regulatory complexities related to products and services. We do believe having the right to design products targeted to customers will enable us to be more customer-centric. At the same time, we also emphasise the need to ensure proper and fair competition in the market to ensure the freedom of choice for mobile users in Bangladesh."
The revised directive also makes important changes to the redemption of loyalty points.
Previously, the MNOs could only provide telecom-related services in exchange for loyalty points.
Under the new guidelines, however, customers can redeem their points not only for telecom products but also for non-telecom items, subject to BTRC approval. This change offers consumers more flexibility and broader reward options.
Another significant update concerns the minimum duration for which products must remain available in the market.
Previously, regular products were required to remain for at least 30 days, and customer-centric special packages (CCSP) had to stay for a minimum of seven days.
Under the new directive, regular products must remain on the market for at least 15 days, and CCSP products must stay for at least three days. Research and development (R&D) products, however, will still need to remain available for a minimum of seven days.
These adjustments provide MNOs with more agility in managing their product portfolios while still ensuring that customers have sufficient time to access and benefit from the offerings.
The directive also introduces a restriction on internet packages, prohibiting operators from offering such packages between 12am and 6am aiming to curb excessive late-night data usage and encourage a more balanced approach to internet consumption.
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