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| POSTED BY: Lucy on 09/09/2007 03:22:49 |
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No foreigner, mobile phone cos will get licence
The government will not issue license to any foreign individual or company for establishing international gateway (IGW), interconnection exchange (ICX) and internet exchange (IX), under a policy to preserve the foreign exchange, reports UNB.
The international long distance telecommunication services (ILDTS) policy-2007 approved on Sunday will open the Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and bring discipline in this potential sector.
Acting secretary of Post and Telecommunication Sheikh Khurshid Alam explaining the salient features of the policy at a press conference Monday said Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Communication (BTRC) would provide two types of licence to the private sector to operate IGW and ICX. BTRC chairman Major General (retd) Manzurul Alam was present.
As per the policy, the government will provide three licences to private sector for VoIP and all of them will have to set up in Dhaka.
Two ICX licences to private operators will be awarded to operate national and international calls.
Under these licenses two exchanges will be set up in Dhaka and one each in Chittagong, Sylhet, Bogra and Khulna.
"All national and international calls will be conducted through IGW and ICX," Sheikh Alam said.
He said no more licences for V-sat would be issued.
BTRC will gradually suspend operation of existing V-sat, mostly domestic.
Replying a question, he said all licences would be issued through auction and open tender.
Under the new policy no mobile operators of the country will be eligible to have licence for IGW, ICX and IX.
Responding to a question, BTRC chairman Manzurul Alam said the government had decided not to award any license to the foreign nationals to preserve the valuable foreign exchange in the country.
Asked whether the local people will be able to operate these highly technical matters he said there would be no restriction to employ foreign technicians.
About the possible date of introduction of the new system in the country, the chairman said, "If everything goes without any hindrance I hope by March-April of the next year the country will get the benefit of the new policy."
He also mentioned that his organization would monitor the international call rate of the VoIP.
Admitting there was no discipline in the mobile phone sector he said they were trying to bring discipline.
He pointed to the recent fixation of the highest Tk 2 and lowest 25 paisa call rate of mobile phone. "It does not mean that we can't change the rate. The higher pat of the call rate will decrease gradually," he said.
Source: http://www.newstoda y-bd.com/ frontpage. asp?newsdate= #7467
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