DHAKA, Oct 19, 2024 (BSS) – Speakers at a discussion today stressed the need for overhauling the country’s telecommunication industry through bringing regulatory reforms to achieve meaningful progress in this changed Bangladesh.

They also suggested a pro-people regulatory atmosphere to outreach the benefits of internet and other telecommunication-based services to the people at every nook and cranny.

Bangladesh Mobile Phone Consumers' Association (BMPCA) organized the discussion meeting “BTRC’s empowerment, amendment of telecommunication act and present situation” at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity.  

Mahtab Uddin Ahmed, Founder and managing director of BuildCon Consultancies, in his keynote presentation, said Bangladesh’s telecom regulation is hampered by overlapping responsibilities between the Telecom Ministry, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) and Department of Telecommunications (DOT).

“This creates inefficiencies and slows down progress,” he observed, suggesting the interim government to merge BTRC with DOT.

“The interim government must streamline regulatory roles by merging DOT with BTRC, enabling BTRC to both regulate and formulate policy, while the Ministry provides overarching guidance,” he added.

Mahtab, who was the CEO of mobile phone operator Robi, opined, “Without this reform, meaningful progress in the telecom sector will remain elusive.”

Bangladesh’s telecom sector is being held back by monopolistic control, outdated policies, and regulatory inefficiencies, he said, adding, “If the country truly wants to achieve "Smart Bangladesh," it’s time to prioritize national interests, remove political cronyism, and create a competitive environment that fosters innovation, growth, and digital inclusivity for all.”
   
Mahtab Uddin Ahmed in the meeting placed a new three-tier licensing model to address the evolving needs of the telecom industry, which aims to streamline services, improve quality, and align Bangladesh with regional best practices.

Initially, he suggested end-user access to telecom networks for voice and data, including Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), Internet Service Providers (ISPs), and Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs).

Additionally, he opted for Infrastructure Service and this layer covers towers, fibre, and submarine cable services, offering transmission support to MNOs, ISPs, and MVNOs.

Furthermore, he advocated for services and contents, which would focuses on delivering digital services beyond traditional telecom offerings, enhancing customer experiences.

“This model would optimize Bangladesh's 2,900+ licenses across 29 categories,” added Mahtab.

Mustafa Mahmud Hussain, a telecom policy analyst, also advocated for an effective telecom regulation as well as encouraging the content creators to develop educative contents.

ISPAB President Emdadul Hoque laid emphasis on full independence of BTRC, saying if BTRC had independent characteristics, it wouldn’t have been issued licenses in political consideration.

“We wouldn’t get an appropriate policy until BTRC has the authority to issue and revoke license as well as get full monitoring access,” he said, adding that BTRC should have the authority to act as an independent commission for the better industry.

About the reassessment of different layers of licenses, the ISPAB President recommended for discussion with the stakeholders to avoid any disorder, as so many licenses have already been issued for different jobs.

BMPCA President Mohiuddin Ahmed urged the telecom regulator as well the government to bring different operators under accountability as many of those are not complying with QoS.