A new policy is currently in the works to rope in foreign investment in the telecom network business, which will test local entrepreneurs in terms of quality service and its delivery.
Sources say the transition involves some initial setbacks, as the government will have to accept direct revenue loss and existing operators face the challenge of standard upgrading.
All International Gateway (IGW), Interconnection Exchange (ICX) and International Internet Gateway (IIG) will be required to take new licences on expiry of current ones by 2027 under the proposed Telecom Network Policy 2023, according to a BTRC commission meeting’s decision taken recently.
According to Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), most of these licences are destined to die off in tandem before 2027.
If any licence expires before 2027, they can apply for extension up to the cutoff time (2027) only.
The telecom regulator is bringing the existing bundle of 29 categories of licences into four categories under the proposed telecom network policy.
The BTRC is bent on making thorough changes to the International Long Distance Telecommunications Services (ILDTS) policy to introduce “a unified licensing system for enhancing the quality of services at low costs, reducing the operating expenses and boosting the efficiency of operators”.
As per the draft policy on the anvil, the telecom regulator will introduce four types of licences: infrastructure, service, retailer, and special category.
At present, it is issuing around 2,900 licences under the 29 generic categories.
Licences, including Nationwide Telecommunication Transmission Network (NTTN), tower sharing, submarine cable and ITC-related ones, will be issued under the infrastructure- licence category as part of the unified licensing system.
Cellular mobile operators, Broadband Wireless Access (BWA), wireless ISP and others will be issued licence under wireless-service category.
Some licences for Internet Protocol Telephony Service Provider (IPTSP), Internet Service Provider (ISP) and Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) will be issued under wired- service category.
Licenses like Mobile Number Portability (MNP) will be out in a special-category basket.
Before the new ILDTS policy comes into effect, the BTRC will set a timeline as ‘transition period’, up to the day when at least half of the licences will become time-expired.
The BTRC plans to set the transition period from 2027 as at least half of the licences will run out of life that year.
It will be possible to fully implement the Telecom Network Policy after 2034 as one licence will expire that year.
Meanwhile, the BTRC will lose direct revenue from licence fees due the reduction in the number of licences but, in the long run, its indirect revenue will increase greatly alongside creation of huge employment, says the policy. https://www.dhakatribune.com
