Four top mobile phone operators may not take part in the forthcoming spectrum auction as some of the key issues that the government promised to sort out during the last bidding remain unresolved.

Phone and internet firms are rolling out cheaper handsets and may turn to hot-air balloons to boost network coverage in developing countries, where sales of smartphones are booming.

Telenor, the majority shareholder of the country's leading mobile operator Grameenphone, yesterday announced its plan to introduce roaming services at an affordable rate, in a bid to eliminate high and unpredictable costs using mobile services while abroad.

Robi's net profits rose around 20 percent year-on-year to Tk 440 crore in 2014 on the back of attractive customer-centric products and service offerings and effective cost management.

Banglalink, the second largest mobile operator, aims to log profit this year -- for the first time in its history, its chief executive said.

The emergence of this business was propelled by expansion of the country's fast growing telecom sector. More mobile operators bring in more retail outlets. Grameenphone set off the trend with Flexiload on April 28, 2005. Later, other operators followed suit.