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Four private mobile-phone operators have secured spectrum in an uninspiring auction to introduce third generation (3G) mobile services in Bangladesh.
The Bangladesh Telecommunication
Regulatory Commission (BTRC) Chairman, Sunil Kanti Bose, gave the licences to
representatives of Grameenphone, Robi and Airtel on Thursday.
Grameenphone Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Mahmud Hussain, Robi Executive
Vice-President Mahmudur Rahman and Airtel Chief Executive Officer Chris Tobit
received the papers.
“You need to ensure that the subscribers get data services smoothly and the services are easily available,” Bose told the operators.
“You need to ensure that the subscribers get data services smoothly and the services are easily available,” Bose told the operators.
He said subscribers were not happy with the data services they were getting.
Bose said: “The operators have to be careful from the beginning so that their data services maintain a reasonable standard. The subscribers are very enthusiastic about 3G. (You have to ensure that) the subscribers don’t lose their interest.”
He also urged them to keep the 3G service tariff at ‘tolerable’ levels.
The BTRC chief said he expected the operators would not give the subscribers any scope to complain about the quality of the 3G services.
The BTRC chief said he expected the operators would not give the subscribers any scope to complain about the quality of the 3G services.
Grameenphone purchased 10 megahertz spectrum and Banglalink, Robi and Airtel 5
megahertz each in the 3G auction held on Sept 8.
The three operators paid 60 percent of their auction money as the first instalment but Banglalink was yet to fully pay its part.
Airtel’s Tobit said at the function that his company would ensure quality 3G services.
He said they would shortly announce the date when the services would begin.
Grameenphone’s Hussain said his company was ready to offer the services. “We hope to launch them in Oct, the time already announced.”
Rahman of Robi said his company was working to offer quality 3G services. He said Robi would launch the services in Oct.
As per the auction, Grameenphone has to pay Tk 16.32 billion for 10 MHz spectrum and the three others Tk 6.16 billion each for 5 MHz spectrum.
A senior official of Banglalink said they had not paid the full amount of the first installment yet, shelling out about 60 percent so far.
He told bdnews24.com that certain procedural formalities were to be fulfilled before it could get the licence.
A senior BTRC official told bdnews24.com that Banglalink paid Tk 3.21 billion against Tk 5.25 billion they were supposed to.
The company would have to pay the rest by Oct 23 to get the licence, he said.
Grameenphone and Robi have already announced that they would launch the services in early Oct in certain areas. They said existing subscribers could get the services simply by switching to 3G packages.
The three operators paid 60 percent of their auction money as the first instalment but Banglalink was yet to fully pay its part.
Airtel’s Tobit said at the function that his company would ensure quality 3G services.
He said they would shortly announce the date when the services would begin.
Grameenphone’s Hussain said his company was ready to offer the services. “We hope to launch them in Oct, the time already announced.”
Rahman of Robi said his company was working to offer quality 3G services. He said Robi would launch the services in Oct.
As per the auction, Grameenphone has to pay Tk 16.32 billion for 10 MHz spectrum and the three others Tk 6.16 billion each for 5 MHz spectrum.
A senior official of Banglalink said they had not paid the full amount of the first installment yet, shelling out about 60 percent so far.
He told bdnews24.com that certain procedural formalities were to be fulfilled before it could get the licence.
A senior BTRC official told bdnews24.com that Banglalink paid Tk 3.21 billion against Tk 5.25 billion they were supposed to.
The company would have to pay the rest by Oct 23 to get the licence, he said.
Grameenphone and Robi have already announced that they would launch the services in early Oct in certain areas. They said existing subscribers could get the services simply by switching to 3G packages.
An operator will be fined Tk 500 million if it fails to begin the services within nine months from getting the licence.
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