BTRC to award 'unified' licences to telcos
The telecom regulator is awarding cellular mobile service operator licences to mobile network operators, unifying the existing licences and setting the groundwork for the launch of 5G technology in the country.
Until now, there were separate licences and guidelines for 2G, 3G and 4G technology in Bangladesh. Now, all of them have been brought under one licence.
Telecom operators have already paid Tk 10 core each as an annual fee for the licence, which will remain valid for 15 years.
Due to the evolution of 5G technology and rapid development in the telecom sector, the government has decided to issue a single licence irrespective of specific technology to make the licence more accommodative and modern, according to the BTRC.
For the new licence, the BTRC introduced "Regulatory and Licensing Guidelines for Cellular Mobile Services in Bangladesh", terming it as a "unified guideline".
However, experts cautioned against labeling it a unified guideline due to technical reasons.
"The regulator integrated various technologies into this licence. Under a unified licence, an operator can offer a range of cellular or radio communication services, including International Gateway Operator (IGW) service, optical fiber, and towers," said TIM Nurul Kabir, a telecom sector expert.
But in Bangladesh, third-party entities provide IGW and optical fiber services.
With the new licence, mobile operators in Bangladesh can introduce cutting-edge technologies such as eMBB (enhanced Mobile Broadband), mMTC (massive Machine Type Communications), IoT (Internet of Things), AI (Artificial Intelligence), and cloud computing.
The new licence also allows telecom operators in Bangladesh to provide fixed wireless access (FWA), enabling their users to get broadband connections without cables.
The move will likely transform the broadband internet business in the country, creating competition among current internet service providers (ISPs) and telecom operators by providing users with more options.
It will also extend broadband coverage efficiently, especially in areas with limited wired infrastructure.
FWA generally leverages the high-speed, low-latency capabilities of 5G networks to deliver broadband internet access wirelessly. However, as the country's telecom operators are still reluctant to launch 5G commercially, the expansion of the service will take time, according to industry people.
Shahed Alam, Robi's chief corporate and regulatory officer, welcomed the new licence.
"As the licence will help build the country as a Smart Bangladesh, the operators should be given more elaborate scope for services," he added.
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