Published :
Updated :
For all latest news, follow The Financial Express Google News channel.
The country's telecom regulator has moved to formulate a unified guideline for the country's mobile operators instead of separate licences for 2G, 3G and 4G services.
The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has already formulated the draft guidelines titled "Regulatory and Licencing Guidelines for Establishing, Operating and Maintaining Cellular Mobile Services in Bangladesh."
Director (Licencing) of Legal and Licencing Division of BTRC M A Taleb Hossain told the Financial Express the government has decided to issue a single licence, not based on specific technology, due to the evolution in technology and rapid development in the mobile telephony sector.
According to the draft guidelines, the key objective of these guidelines is to introduce technology-neutral spectrum.
All the cellphone operators converted their spectrum into technology-neutral system accordingly.
Mobile operators have welcomed the move.
Secretary of the Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh (AMTOB) SM Farhad said this is a much-expected move.
The country's mobile operators have long been demanding unified licence for all telecom operators, he said.
He said he will comment later elaborately after going through draft guidelines.
BTRC officials said the change is expected to facilitate further roll-out of mobile broadband services.
Telecom operators will still have secure prior permission for launching any services beyond 4G, and operators will need to renew their spectrum licences separately.
They also remain subject to coverage requirements under the former LTE licences.
The BRTC expects the initial operating licences will be valid until February 2033.
The licences will carry an annual fee of Tk 100 million plus a 5.5 per cent share of annual gross revenue in addition to the spectrum fees.
Operators must pay 1.0 per cent of revenue to the Social Obligation Fund.
The licencee will have to deposit Tk 1.5 billion as performance bank guarantee as a precondition for the licence.
Bank guarantee will be encashed by the Commission in case of failure to fulfill the 4G/LTE rollout obligation by the licencee.
The Commission will encash Tk 500 million in case of the failure of the fulfillment of 4G/LTE rollout target of each phase.
The licencee shall comply with the provisions of the Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1933 and the Telegraph Act, 1885 as modified or amended from time to time and rules, regulations, policies, directives, guidelines, orders, circulars, decisions, etc. issued from time to time by the BTRC or any other laws for the time being in force.