BTRC to go tough against ISPs’ monopoly

Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission will go tough against internet service providers who were out to establish their monopoly ousting others from the market.

The commission chairman Shyam Sundar Sikder at a public hearing on its activities on Sunday made the remark responding to a question from a service-seeker.

He said the commission would not compromise with the giant ISPs who were hindering other small ISPs from doing business.

BTRC’s Director General of Engineering and Operations Brigadier General Ehsanul Kabir said that they would take action against such ISPs if they get specific information about them without making public the complainers identity.

Responding to another question, Brigadier General Shahidul Alam, Director General of the commission’s Spectrum Division, said that BTRC would allocate another 450 MHz spectrum in the next two years.

During the public hearing, one Abdullah Al Mamun raised the issue of termination of workers at GrameenPhone.

Responding to this question, Shyam Sundar said it was internal issue of the Grameenphone. “Even then, the BTRC will look into whether anyone was illogically terminated,” he said.

On Banglalink’s forced subscription of Value Added Services, one Abdul Qayyum said that he had sent a legal notice to company and in response Banglalink mentioned that they would return him Tk 55. But he was given Tk 45.

The BTRC chairman asked its officials to take action against such incidents. “We are taking it as an ideal case and we will discuss with both the parties,” he said.

The BTRC at the public hearing claimed that 60 per cent of the 25 problems discussed in the last public hearing held in 2019 have been resolved. The rest are in partial process.

Issues of internet speed, handset, and SIM registration also came up in the public hearing.