Five firms to bid for mobile number portability licence

Five companies have made the cut to place bids in the much-awaited auction for mobile number portability licence, scheduled for September 28 in a city hotel.

Once operational, the MNP scheme will allow mobile phone subscribers to switch from one operator to another without having to change their existing numbers. The service is already available in India and Pakistan, along with many Western countries.

The five companies, which are joint ventures with foreign firms, are REVE Number, Greentech International, Infozillion BD Teletech Consortium, Brazil-Bangladesh Consortium and Roots Infotech.

The companies met all the criteria to participate in the auction, said an official of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission.

REVE Number partnered with T4B Sp of Poland and Greentech with Mediafon of Lithuania. Infozillion BD Teletech Consortium has teamed up with Teletech of Slovenia.

Agile Technology Solution has partnered with Clear Tech of Brazil and Roots Infotech with Systor International of Norway.

The selected companies will have to submit the bid earnest money of Tk 10 lakh by September 18.

On September 20, they would be informed through a letter if they have made the final cut to participate in the auction, and on September 25 a consultation on the auction procedure will be held.

The base price for the auction would be Tk 1 crore. The application fee would be Tk 1 lakh, officials said.

The licence would be issued primarily to an operator for 15 years, which would be renewed for another five years upon the approval of government.

The operator has to deposit Tk 1 crore as bank guarantee, and pay Tk 20 lakh as annual licence fee.

BTRC Chairman Shahjahan Mahmood said the service will empower customers.