Major Cell Operator faces trouble in Bangladesh

by Special Correspondent
August 3, 2011

http://www.weeklyblitz.net/1618/major-cell-operator-faces-trouble-in-bangladesh

Grameen Phone, a concern of Grameen Bank and Norwegian Nortel, which has more than 30 millions subscribers in Bangladesh, is suffering from several technical troubles causing its customers from series of sufferings including sudden call drop and poor network. Currently there are total six mobile phone operators in Bangladesh such as, Grameen Phone, Airtel, Banglalink, Tele Talk [a state owned company], Citicel [only CDMA based operator] and Robi.

Twelve landline operators and six mobile phone operators have more than 56 million customers in Bangladesh with mobile operators serving around 54 million.

Grameen Phone authorities say the network problem is causing because of its regular "optimisation" works, while customers say; the company basically fails to pay proper attention of the customers. It is learnt that Grammen Phone started their optimisation work from March 2011, after taking preparations for more than three years. It claims that, optimisation of 14,000 BTS have already been completed. But customers are rejecting such claims of Grameen Phone saying, the company has miserably failed in ensuring smooth service as well as stable network to the customers.

For past couple of years, most of the mobile phone operators in Bangladesh have been regularly fined by Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission [BTRC] for running illegal VOIP [Voice Over Internet Protocol] business. It is roughly estimated that, each of the mobile phone operators have cashed millions of dollars each month from such illegal operation. Though, BTRC is strictly monitoring any such illegal activities, it is learnt that, connections of Tele Talk, Banglalink and Airtel are continued to be used in operating VOIP activities.

The BTRC will continue its investigation of illegal VoIP activities by any telephone operator or Internet service provider and shut them down, if found guilty, as it did in cases of three private landline companies and 18 ISPs recently. Earlier, BTRC shut down a number of local land phone companies for illegally operating VOIP business.

Meanwhile, around 400,000 subscribers of the three land phone companies say, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission is ignoring their plights. Some clients of these three landline operators–RanksTel, Dhaka Phone and WorldTel–have accused the BTRC of not having considered their rights while shutting down operations of these telecom service providers.

Industry insiders said the VoIP-based call termination business has already captured over 40 percent of the market of incoming and outgoing international calls. This has tremendously affected telecom companies licensed to handle international calls while the government is being deprived of huge revenue. Illegal VoIP operation has been thriving in Bangladesh since the late 1990s amid the authorities' silence. At one point in 2006-07, such operators were taking away around US$ 2 billion annually, the money too being illegally transacted internationally.

During 2007-2008, the BTRC fined five mobile phone operators and a few landline service providers for their involvement in the illegal business. It collected around US$ 100 million in fines from them.

More than ten million non-resident Bangladeshis generate over 30 million minutes' calls to Bangladesh every day.

Customers of Grameen Phone complain that they are hardly being able to get connection from one cell phone to other and it is almost impossible for the customers of Grameen Phone to get connection to any land phone number in Bangladesh.

Related Topics:  Bangladesh News receive the latest by email: subscribe to weekly blitz's free mailing list