BTRC steps up process for launching 4G

The telecom regulator has accelerated the process of releasing 700MHz spectrum in the country, as the government is planning to introduce the latest 4G (fourth generation) mobile technology by 2016, sources said.
As part of the initiatives, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has started recovering the unused or semi-used airwave frequency from the operators.
"We've decided to cancel spectrum of two internet services providers - Global Access and Ektu - as they have been inactive for long," a BTRC senior official told the FE.
He said BTRC has taken the decision as part of its moves to free some unused spectrum.
"Such cancelation of spectrum is our continuous process," the official said.
In May, BTRC rearranged the spectrum of AlwaysOn Network Bangladesh, another internet service provider, in the 700 MHz band mainly to use the spectrum for LTE/4G or high-speed internet services.
But the company went to the court challenging the regulator's decision. BTRC also requested consumers not to receive wireless internet service from AlwaysOn.
Earlier, Prime Minister's IT Advisor Sajeeb Wazed Joy directed the authorities concerned to recover unused spectrum as part of the government plan to introduce 4G by next year.
The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) defines 700 MHz spectrum for mobile band.
"The government plans to earn money by selling this precious band for 4G or long-term evolution network," the BTRC official added.
The band will facilitate faster mobile internet, and offer a better, less costly and more expanded mobile broadband services by mobile operators.
The official said the valuable spectrum could not be kept idle for years without making any use of it.
"Because, it is one of the limited resources of the country," he added.
As part the move, the telecom regulator also decided to bring back spectrum from some land-phone operators for their alleged failure to utilise the valuable frequency.
The Spectrum Management Division was asked to prepare a complete proposal to cancel spectrum licence of the Worldtel Bangladesh Limited, a private PSTN (public switched telephone network) operator in the country, the official said.
BTRC also asked its Engineering and Operation Division to scrutinise the technical aspects of illegal call termination by the PSTN operator.
When contacted, Worldtel managing director Nayeem Chowdhury said it is very unfortunate that the regulator wants to take back its allocated spectrum though the operators have invested a substantial amount in this connection.
"It will create a troublesome situation for the sector," Mr Chowdhury added.
Worldtel is the first private PSTN operator in the country. It is also the lone PSTN operator in Bangladesh using GSM technology.
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