More than 80pc telecom complaints resolved: BTRC

The telecom regulator resolved most of the complaints it received from customers during July-February, its officials said.

Some 1,338 complaints on telecom and social media issues were lodged with Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission.

About 88 percent of the complaints were resolved, the officials said, citing an internal report of the regulator.

The BTRC is also working to set up a dedicated call centre with a short code of 2872 to register user complaints.

The number of complaints seems low compared to the total number of users because it accounts for only the second layer of complaints -- those that are heard but not entertained or resolved by the mobile operators themselves, officials said.

“We took some measures last year, but more modern initiatives are needed to help subscribers register complaints,” said Md Sarwar Alam, spokesperson for the BTRC.

“We need to strengthen the process to empower subscribers.

” Users can currently approach the BTRC for resolution only if the mobile operators fail to address the complaints.

During the eight-month period, there were about 200 complaints about online harassment through Facebook, for which the BTRC notified the authorities of the social media platform. But the regulator did not receive much of a response from Facebook, officials said.

Users also had grievances about SIM re-registration, SIM blocking, mobile packages and data use.

There were some 145 complaints lodged in July 2015, of which the BTRC resolved 115. Till date, the highest number of complaints, 288, were received in February, of which some 270 were dealt with.

The BTRC usually writes to mobile operators for clarification against any complaint received, and directs them to pay compensation whenever appropriate, officials said.

Once the automated complaint management system is operational, it will be easier for all stakeholders to find the real number of complaints, they said.

The BTRC will also use the system to assess the quality of voice, data and video services offered by operators. 

There are 13.11 crore active SIMs in the market and more than 5.83 crore active internet connections as of February 2016.