The Post and Telecommuni-cation
Division of Ministry of Post, Telecommunications and Information
Technology has taken the initiative to form a telecom policy that fits
in the present times and ensures privacy of customers, interest of the
state and increases foreign direct investment.
The department has started a public consultation in this connection.
Customers can convey their opinion to the Bangladesh Telecommunication
Regulatory Commission by sending an e-mail to
info@ntd.gov.bd until
March 15. The government has invited all subscribers to participate in the process of forming the policy by sending SMS in Bangla.
Customers have been told to follow websites of the Post and Telecommunication Division and the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC). Many subscribers received such SMS for last three days.
The National Telecom Policy was formed in 1998.
Foyzur Rahman Chowdhury, secretary, Post & Telecommunication Division, said: “We talking to everyone to make the policy up-to-date. As telecom is for the people, we are considering their opinion with high priority. We will talk to all other stakeholders. And we will also talk to specialists here and abroad.” The public consultation will focus on increasing foreign direct investment (FDI), Chowdhury said, adding that the issue of unified licensing is also there.
Any operator can provide all kinds of services to subscribers, said former BTRC chairman Major General (retd) Manzarul Alam.
He wanted to introduce unified licensing during the last caretaker government in 2007. At that time, the BTRC said the regulator would go for unified licensing by 2011. But that did not happen.
With the change of government, General (retd) Zia Ahmed was appointed chairman of the BTRC, replacing Alam. But after the death of Zia Ahmed, the process stopped.
Some of the matters on the posted consultation announcement are--unified Licensing Regime - Consists of "Vertical Convergence": Which refers to integration between different layers of telecommunication sector provided by a single provider. "Horizontal Convergence": Which refers to integration between different services in the same layer by a single provider; “Technology-neutrality”: Which refers to the licensee’s right to choose technology and equipment to provide licensed service. “Service-neutrality”: Refers to the operator’s right to offer different services and applications, tailored to fluctuations in the market demand; approach to be taken in the telecom policy for increasing FDI, as well as domestic investment; how the role of public sector undertakings can be addressed in the policy; directions to be set in the policy to protect consumer interest, including quality of service; Issues regarding principles and process of allocation and pricing of spectrum; Telecommunication Goods and Service, Business, Accounting, Agreement, Equipment, including Standardisation; Encouraging local telecommunication equipment manufacture; VPN-Monitoring and Management.
March 15. The government has invited all subscribers to participate in the process of forming the policy by sending SMS in Bangla.
Customers have been told to follow websites of the Post and Telecommunication Division and the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC). Many subscribers received such SMS for last three days.
The National Telecom Policy was formed in 1998.
Foyzur Rahman Chowdhury, secretary, Post & Telecommunication Division, said: “We talking to everyone to make the policy up-to-date. As telecom is for the people, we are considering their opinion with high priority. We will talk to all other stakeholders. And we will also talk to specialists here and abroad.” The public consultation will focus on increasing foreign direct investment (FDI), Chowdhury said, adding that the issue of unified licensing is also there.
Any operator can provide all kinds of services to subscribers, said former BTRC chairman Major General (retd) Manzarul Alam.
He wanted to introduce unified licensing during the last caretaker government in 2007. At that time, the BTRC said the regulator would go for unified licensing by 2011. But that did not happen.
With the change of government, General (retd) Zia Ahmed was appointed chairman of the BTRC, replacing Alam. But after the death of Zia Ahmed, the process stopped.
Some of the matters on the posted consultation announcement are--unified Licensing Regime - Consists of "Vertical Convergence": Which refers to integration between different layers of telecommunication sector provided by a single provider. "Horizontal Convergence": Which refers to integration between different services in the same layer by a single provider; “Technology-neutrality”: Which refers to the licensee’s right to choose technology and equipment to provide licensed service. “Service-neutrality”: Refers to the operator’s right to offer different services and applications, tailored to fluctuations in the market demand; approach to be taken in the telecom policy for increasing FDI, as well as domestic investment; how the role of public sector undertakings can be addressed in the policy; directions to be set in the policy to protect consumer interest, including quality of service; Issues regarding principles and process of allocation and pricing of spectrum; Telecommunication Goods and Service, Business, Accounting, Agreement, Equipment, including Standardisation; Encouraging local telecommunication equipment manufacture; VPN-Monitoring and Management.
