Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) Chairman Major General Md Emdad Ul Bari (retd) has called for an in-depth study on Bangladesh’s mobile industry to optimize business opportunities and support informed decisions on spectrum pricing and services. He emphasized the need for a balance among the interests of people, businesses, and the government. The study aims to establish a 'sweet point' where government revenue, business cost efficiency, and service optimization can be balanced.
Need for Comprehensive Research
During a roundtable dialogue titled 'Spectrum for a connected Bangladesh: Enabling Internet for ALL', organized by the Telecom and Technology Reporters’ Network (TRNB), the BTRC chairman highlighted the importance of a comprehensive research study. He mentioned that BTRC had been urging the industry to conduct such a study for the past two years, but no action had been taken. As the auction period approached, BTRC engaged its own research team, though the chairman doubted they could complete an in-depth study within the short timeframe.
The chairman urged the Foreign Investors' Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and the Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh (AMTOB) to take the lead in conducting the research. He stressed that the study should focus on optimizing business opportunities alongside digital transformation.
Balancing Stakeholder Interests
Major General Md Emdad Ul Bari (retd) pointed out that spectrum pricing should not be viewed solely from the perspective of government revenue. Consumer interests, service quality, and business cost efficiency must also be considered. He noted that Bangladesh currently has around 2.29 MHz of spectrum per million subscribers, which is at the lower end of the global standard of 2-6 MHz per million subscribers under GSM standards.
In a 5G scenario, the requirement would rise to 6-12 MHz per million users, and Bangladesh would need around 1,500 MHz by 2035. The chairman called for spectrum pricing to be assessed against regional standards and for the benefits to be passed on to subscribers. He also highlighted the need to consider purchasing power when evaluating data prices.
The BTRC chairman emphasized the importance of creating accountability around the balance of interests among stakeholders. He urged the media to adopt a 360-degree perspective while reporting on spectrum pricing and related decisions. BTRC is committed to conducting ongoing research to ensure that its decisions are informed and not based on assumptions.
