The government has asked the country’s telecom regulator to reissue licences to two telcos, RanksTel and National TeleCom, according to the Financial Express.
A few weeks ago, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) had already said…
The government has asked the country’s telecom regulator to reissue licences to two telcos, RanksTel and National TeleCom, according to the Financial Express.
A few weeks ago, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) had already said that it would review a March 2010 decision to close five private switched telephone network (PSTN) operators over alleged illegal VoIP activities, according to local newspapers.
Previously, the companies, which consist of RanksTel, PeoplesTel, Dhaka Phone, National Telecom and WorldTel, had appealed to the BTRC for the decision to be reviewed.
The operators reportedly said that they were unable to take advantage of expensive investments they made, and are accruing interest on loans while still paying expenses and salaries.
Mobile operators Grameenphone, Banglalink, AKTEL and CityCell were also reportedly caught up in the illegal VoIP scandal, and were fined as a result.
RanksTel boasts 300,000 subscribers, followed by PeoplesTel (160,000), National Telecom (138,000), Dhaka Phone (77,000) and WorldTel (14,000), according figures cited by local reports last year.
According to the Financial Express citing sources, PeoplesTel, Dhaka Phone and WorldTel may also be allowed to resume their operations in phases.
But to have their licences back, the operators will have to withdraw their compensation claims against the BTRC and pay dues but will not have to pay charges for the 14-month period during which they were shutdown, the Financial Express wrote.
