The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) on Monday issued unified licenses to the country's three major mobile-phone operators- Grameenphone Limited, Robi Axiata Limited and Teletalk Bangladesh Limited- with the goal of advancing the telecommunications sector, expanding information technology (IT), and facilitating the adoption of next-generation technologies, including 5G.
Junaid Ahmed Palak, state minister for posts, telecommunications and information technology, as the chief guest attended the event where the licenses were issued.
The Commission's chairman, Mohiuddin Ahmed, president over the programme held in the main conference room of the BTRC Building in Agargaon of the capital.
Following the 'Regulatory and Licensing Guidelines for Cellular Mobile Services in Bangladesh,' the unified license includes both the Cellular Mobile Services Operator License and the Radio Communications Apparatus License for Cellular Mobile Services.
This move consolidates previous licenses and guidelines for 2G, 3G, and 4G technologies, as well as spectrum fees.
The unified license also addresses various aspects of 5G, including spectrum access, backhaul fiber availability, permission for public infrastructure use, offshore cloud facilities, roll-out obligations, and network security.
After receiving approval from the Department of Posts and Telecommunications on February 6, 2024, the BTRC officially issued the unified license on February 13, 2024. Junaid Ahmed Palak expressed optimism that the unified license would yield positive outcome for the telecommunications sector.
BTRC Chairman Mohiuddin Ahmed emphasised that the unified license eliminates the need for separate licenses for new technologies, ensuring the provision of modern technical services efficiently and affordably to customers.
Grameenphone Limited's CEO, Mr. Yasir Azman, praised the unified license as a significant achievement for all telecom operators in the country. Robi's Chief Corporate and Regulatory Officer, Mr Mohammad Sahedul Alam, underscored the importance of the new licensing guidelines in ensuring quality services in the telecom sector.
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