BTRC to issue IP telephony licences soon
Wednesday, 26 December 2007
FE Report
The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) is set to invite applications from the internet service providers (ISPs) for issuing internet protocol (IP) telephony licences soon.
"We will be providing the IP telephony licences only to the ISPs to reduce the cost of international calls and legalise calls through internet," a senior BTRC official told the FE.
He said under the IP telephony licence the ISPs will be able to provide easy telecommunication services at affordable rate to the people across the country by promoting and using the latest technology under the recently approved International Long Distance Telecommunication Service (ILDTS) Policy-2007.
Sources said the BTRC would provide the IP telephony licences directly to all the existing ISPs without floating any tender.
The ISPs will have to deposit certain amount of money to get the IP telephony licences, the ILDTS policy pointed out.
The ISPs will be able to provide IP telephones to their clients across the country for making IP telephone calls in and outside the country.
No mobile phone operators or the fixed phone line operators will be eligible to get the IP telephony licences, the ILDTS policy pointed out.
Currently, the ISPs are providing only internet services to their clients.
"The IP telephony operations by the ISPs will not only ensure government's monitoring on calls over internet but also enhance government revenue substantially," President of the Internet Service Providers Association of Bangladesh (ISPAB) Mohammad Abdus Salam told the FE.
He said introduction of the leading edge technology of the IP telephony would help the country's information and communication technology (ICT) flourish.
It will also help young ISP entrepreneurs sustain in their business and develop such entrepreneurship in the rural areas thereby solving unemployment problem, the ISPAB president said.
He said the IP telephony is currently operated by the ISPs in almost all the countries including those of neighbouring India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
The IP telephone operations by the ISPs will help check drainage of large amount of money through illegal channels, Salam added.
Currently, the BTRC is evaluating the bids submitted by the entrepreneurs for international gateway (IGW), interconnection exchange (ICX) and Internet Exchange (IX) licenses.
Against three IGW licences the BTRC received 42 bids, for two ICX licences the commission got 18 proposals and for one IX licence it received 25 applications, a senior BTRC official said.
Expressing satisfaction over the participation in the bidding the BTRC official said that the three types of licences along with the IP telephony licence would be provided shortly as part of the government plan to legalise the voice over internet protocol (VoIP).
The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) is set to invite applications from the internet service providers (ISPs) for issuing internet protocol (IP) telephony licences soon.
"We will be providing the IP telephony licences only to the ISPs to reduce the cost of international calls and legalise calls through internet," a senior BTRC official told the FE.
He said under the IP telephony licence the ISPs will be able to provide easy telecommunication services at affordable rate to the people across the country by promoting and using the latest technology under the recently approved International Long Distance Telecommunication Service (ILDTS) Policy-2007.
Sources said the BTRC would provide the IP telephony licences directly to all the existing ISPs without floating any tender.
The ISPs will have to deposit certain amount of money to get the IP telephony licences, the ILDTS policy pointed out.
The ISPs will be able to provide IP telephones to their clients across the country for making IP telephone calls in and outside the country.
No mobile phone operators or the fixed phone line operators will be eligible to get the IP telephony licences, the ILDTS policy pointed out.
Currently, the ISPs are providing only internet services to their clients.
"The IP telephony operations by the ISPs will not only ensure government's monitoring on calls over internet but also enhance government revenue substantially," President of the Internet Service Providers Association of Bangladesh (ISPAB) Mohammad Abdus Salam told the FE.
He said introduction of the leading edge technology of the IP telephony would help the country's information and communication technology (ICT) flourish.
It will also help young ISP entrepreneurs sustain in their business and develop such entrepreneurship in the rural areas thereby solving unemployment problem, the ISPAB president said.
He said the IP telephony is currently operated by the ISPs in almost all the countries including those of neighbouring India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
The IP telephone operations by the ISPs will help check drainage of large amount of money through illegal channels, Salam added.
Currently, the BTRC is evaluating the bids submitted by the entrepreneurs for international gateway (IGW), interconnection exchange (ICX) and Internet Exchange (IX) licenses.
Against three IGW licences the BTRC received 42 bids, for two ICX licences the commission got 18 proposals and for one IX licence it received 25 applications, a senior BTRC official said.
Expressing satisfaction over the participation in the bidding the BTRC official said that the three types of licences along with the IP telephony licence would be provided shortly as part of the government plan to legalise the voice over internet protocol (VoIP).