No scope for Telenor to go to int’l platform: BTRC

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DHAKA, January 2, 2020 (BSS) – Telenor has no scope to move to any international platform over the outstanding dues of Taka 12,579 crore of its subsidiary Grameenphone (GP) unearthed by audit, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) said here today.

“GP has been running business in Bangladesh on the basis of a treaty with BTRC,” said the regulatory body chairman Md Jahurul Haque at a press conference at BTRC auditorium referring to the legal notice served by Telenor on President Abdul Hamid recently.

“Our head of the state only deals with the government-to-government issues,” he opined.

On November 24, last year the Supreme Court’s Appellate Division directed GP to pay BTRC Taka 2,000 crore, an amount which is 10 times higher than what the operator was willing to pay as adjustable deposit to BTRC.

The apex court simultaneously ordered GP to pay the amount within the next three months, adding that otherwise BTRC could take any measure against the operator which included appointment of administrators for the company.

Jahurul said the mobile operators were serving huge number of customers with low spectrum that resulting in low service quality.

In reply to a query regarding mobile phone operators’ claim that high price was the reason for their less spectrum acquisition, he said BTRC doesn’t have any authority to reduce spectrum price without the finance ministry’s approval, and commission would move ahead if it receives any proposal from the operators.

Speaking about the no-objection-certificate (NOC) issuance suspension that is hampering service quality improvement, the BTRC chairman said the commission was just complying with the court order.

BTRC would only resume issuing NOC to GP once it pays Taka 2,000 crore as per the court order, he added.

BTRC director general Brigadier General Md Mahfuzul Karim Majumder said they have found deviation in service qualities and the operators have been instructed to resolve the issues.
“It [NOC suspension] is not our fault as two mobile phone operators have created the situation and they have to take responsibilities for this,” he said.

Karim said commission would take administrative measures unless the quality of service parameters was maintained by the operators.

At the press conference, Jahurul also unveiled a number of developments in country’s telecommunication sector during the just concluded year.

He revealed mobile phone subscribers increased by 86 lakh to 16.55 crore, teledensity by 2.84 percent to 99.2 percent, internet subscribers by 78 lakh to 9.91 crore and 4G internet subscribers by 1.54 crore to 2.71 crore.