The telecom regulator yesterday scrapped licences of 48 internet service providers after they failed to pay renewal fees in time. 

Of them, 25 are national ISPs and the rest are central zone licensees. The licence tenure of the ISPs expired between 2012 and 2018 though some of them are still providing services to customers.

The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) issued notices to this effect yesterday and requested companies not to do business with the ISPs in question.

The latest move brought down the number of national ISPs to 133 and the central zone ISPs to 84.

The BTRC also gives licences in four more categories. There are a total 1,502 ISPs in Bangladesh now, according to the website of the BTRC.

The commission also directed the 48 ISPs to clear their dues, otherwise they will face legal action, the notice said.

As some of the ISPs whose licences were scrapped are still in operation, the regulator ordered its engineering and operation division to inspect their offices and take action.

A senior official of the BTRC said, within the next few days they will also cancel some more licences in the central zone and other categories on the same ground.