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Bangladesh: Government issues international call licenses Print E-mail
Friday, 22 February 2008

This week, the government of Bangladesh awarded three licenses allowing private operators to offer international services. In a separate auction, two firms were awarded ICX exchange licenses, which allow for the provision of interconnection between voice networks, both domestic and international. Both auctions saw the end of Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board’s (BTTB’s) monopolies.

The three local companies - Bangla Trac Communications, Novotel and Mir Telecom - won fifteen year international services licenses after offering 51.75% of their revenues to the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), commission spokesman Abbas Faruq said.

"The companies will be given licenses in 10 days," Faruq added.

Two other local companies - M&H Telecom and Getco Telecommunications - won fifteen year concessions to operate ICX exchange services. The two operators will pay 65.75% of their revenues to the BTRC. Each licensee is permitted to establish three ICX switches.

Bangladesh has licensed several private operators to offer mobile and fixed-line service. However, state-owned BTTB had a monopoly on international calling since Bangladesh’s independence in 1971. The government’s attempts to preserve the international calling monopoly by banning VoIP services were circumvented, despite the BTRC fining four mobile operators US$ 90 million for illegally transferring international calls in the country.

Source: Agence France Presse and TeleGeography - WDR/Intelecon Regulatory News.