BTRC submits draft policy to ministry
Thursday, 2 December 2010
FE Report
Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) Tuesday submitted a draft policy on licence renewal of four leading mobile operators to the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications.
The leading mobile phone operators are Grameenphone, Banglalink, Robi and Citycell, whose licence and frequency tenure will end on November 2011.
Posts and Telecommunications Minister Rajiuddin Ahmed Raju said the government will finalise an industry-friendly policy after talking with the phone operators.
However, Association of Mobile Operators of Bangladesh president Zakiul Islam did not made any comment regarding the matter, and said they would express their opinion after getting the draft copy.
Sources said BTRC did not consult with the mobile operators during preparation of the draft policy, though the ministry said it would finalise the policy after discussing with operators.
BTRC has taken the decision that the tenure of both licence and frequency will be 15 years, sources said.
The regulatory body has fixed the licence renewal fee according to the per customer income of the operators. As per the sources, the phone companies' 15 per cent of the total income is Tk 280.00 billion, and they have to pay its 50 per cent Tk 140.00 billion as licence fee. But the operators need not pay any extra fee for the frequency.
Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) Tuesday submitted a draft policy on licence renewal of four leading mobile operators to the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications.
The leading mobile phone operators are Grameenphone, Banglalink, Robi and Citycell, whose licence and frequency tenure will end on November 2011.
Posts and Telecommunications Minister Rajiuddin Ahmed Raju said the government will finalise an industry-friendly policy after talking with the phone operators.
However, Association of Mobile Operators of Bangladesh president Zakiul Islam did not made any comment regarding the matter, and said they would express their opinion after getting the draft copy.
Sources said BTRC did not consult with the mobile operators during preparation of the draft policy, though the ministry said it would finalise the policy after discussing with operators.
BTRC has taken the decision that the tenure of both licence and frequency will be 15 years, sources said.
The regulatory body has fixed the licence renewal fee according to the per customer income of the operators. As per the sources, the phone companies' 15 per cent of the total income is Tk 280.00 billion, and they have to pay its 50 per cent Tk 140.00 billion as licence fee. But the operators need not pay any extra fee for the frequency.