BTRC floats tender to issue licences for legalising VoIP
Monday, 8 October 2007
FE Report
The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) floated a tender Sunday for issuing licences under the International Long Distance Telecommunication Service (ILDTS) Policy-2007 to open up the voice over internet protocol (VoIP) services to the private sector.
Licences will be issued in four categories -- international gateway (IGW) operator licence, interconnection exchange (ICX) operator licence, internet exchange (IX) operator licence and internet protocol (IP) telephony licence - to legalise VoIP for making international calls, a senior BTRC official told the FE Sunday.
The BTRC has sought applications from the interested bidders to submit their applications to its office at Shetu Bhaban, Banai by November 21 next.
The applications will also be opened on the same day in presence of the applicants in the BTRC office.
Sources said the IGW, ICX and IX licences will be issued to the local companies, registered under the Joint Stock Company Act, 1994, through open auction, while the IP telephony licences will be issued only to the internet service providers (ISPs).
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 will 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 licences through auctions among the private operators, BTRC sources said.
Under the ICX licences, 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) licence will also be offered to private sector to facilitate internet services at 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 licences.
Even the non-resident Bangladeshis' business outfits will not be eligible to get the licences, he added.
The existing IGW, ICX and IX licences of the state-owned Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board (BTTB) will remain valid, but it will have to obtain licence from the BTRC under the same conditions.
The government will not provide any fresh 'very small aperture terminal' (VSAT) licence under the ILDTS policy and the existing VSATs will be shut down in phases.
The ILDTS policy aims at wooing local investors, creating employment opportunities, upgrading client service standards and expanding use of internet across the country, said sources.
The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) floated a tender Sunday for issuing licences under the International Long Distance Telecommunication Service (ILDTS) Policy-2007 to open up the voice over internet protocol (VoIP) services to the private sector.
Licences will be issued in four categories -- international gateway (IGW) operator licence, interconnection exchange (ICX) operator licence, internet exchange (IX) operator licence and internet protocol (IP) telephony licence - to legalise VoIP for making international calls, a senior BTRC official told the FE Sunday.
The BTRC has sought applications from the interested bidders to submit their applications to its office at Shetu Bhaban, Banai by November 21 next.
The applications will also be opened on the same day in presence of the applicants in the BTRC office.
Sources said the IGW, ICX and IX licences will be issued to the local companies, registered under the Joint Stock Company Act, 1994, through open auction, while the IP telephony licences will be issued only to the internet service providers (ISPs).
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 will 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 licences through auctions among the private operators, BTRC sources said.
Under the ICX licences, 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) licence will also be offered to private sector to facilitate internet services at 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 licences.
Even the non-resident Bangladeshis' business outfits will not be eligible to get the licences, he added.
The existing IGW, ICX and IX licences of the state-owned Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board (BTTB) will remain valid, but it will have to obtain licence from the BTRC under the same conditions.
The government will not provide any fresh 'very small aperture terminal' (VSAT) licence under the ILDTS policy and the existing VSATs will be shut down in phases.
The ILDTS policy aims at wooing local investors, creating employment opportunities, upgrading client service standards and expanding use of internet across the country, said sources.