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The country's telecom regulator is taking up a project to upgrade and strengthen its spectrum-monitoring capacity - either with its own fund or social obligation fund. The BTRC's 165th commission meeting approved the initiation of the project.
To implement the project, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) will appoint an individual expert consultant for six months to prepare cost estimation, cost analysis, technical specification, development project proposal (DPP), etc.
The BTRC now has spectrum monitoring systems with the highest capacity of 6.0 GHz frequency and does not have a mechanism to monitor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), air band, and satellite frequency.
According to the commission, the new monitoring system will be capacitated with a frequency range from 9.0 kHz to 8.0 GHz. It would be able to monitor UAV, air band, and satellite frequency, besides terrestrial monitoring.
The new system would also have a band receiver filter, internet mapping facility, field strength mapping facility, automatic interference detection (alarm function), TDOA (time difference of arrival), hybrid geo-location, and dual polarisation.
The BTRC so far installed three spectrum monitoring systems, by TCI International Inc in 2009, Narda Safety Test Solutions in 2017, and Onpoom Co Ltd in 2019.
With the advancement of newer technology and the 5G launch, the BTRC's older systems are not fully capable of monitoring spectrums, and some of these are entirely obsolete now, an official said.
He opined that the commission also needs to increase its fixed monitoring stations and set up inter-connection among the stations.
Currently, the BTRC has six fixed monitoring stations - in Dhaka, Chattagram, Sylhet, Khulna, Rangpur, and Bogra. There are a few portable monitoring systems as well.
The official added that with advancements in the telecommunications networks, the agency is unable to monitor the entire country from these six fixed stations.
The new spectrum monitoring system will build up a coordinated and central monitoring management by connecting all old and new stations. The new coordinated system will produce a centralised telecommunication management system.
BTRC Vice Chairman Subrata Roy Maitra said the project is at a nascent stage.
"The commission meeting has just approved the project. It will take time for appointing consultant and entire implementation of the project," he told the FE.