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BTRC asks BTTB to receive licences for internet, int'l call termination

Star Business Report
The country's telecoms watchdog, BTRC, has asked state-run telecoms operator BTTB to receive licences for operating international call termination and internet services.
In a meeting yesterday with BTTB (Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board), the BTRC (Bangladesh Telecommunication and Regulatory Commission) pointed out that the BTTB is like other private operators and it should have licences for offering internet service and international call termination.
The meeting also decided to help the BTTB recover itsTk540 crore phone bills.
The BTTB should have received licences for providing all its services from the telecoms watchdog by 2005, the meeting observed.
But so far BTTB has taken
licence of providing land phone services.
"As BTTB will become a public limited company by April 2008, it needs to have licences like other private operators to offer its all services,” said a high official of Ministry of Telecommunication who attended the meeting.
Meanwhile, the BTRC last month issued six licences to private sector to operate international gateway, international internet gateway and interconnection exchange. Earlier, state-owned BTTB was the sole authority to provide these services.
The government last month approved the proposal of making BTTB a public limited company within the next month. While BTTB becomes a public limited company it will have to work like other private international call terminating operators and internet service providers.
However, BTTB sources said BTTB has already applied for licences for services other than land phone operations.
The meeting mainly discussed BTTB's future plans --how it will survive after becoming a public limited company in the face of competition from private operators.
The special assistant to the chief adviser for the post and telecommunication ministry, Brig Gen (retd) MA Malek, BTRC Chairman Major General (retd) Manjurul Alam, BTTB Chairman Ashraful Alim, among others, were present at the meeting.
If BTTB wants to stay in the competition, it needs to reduce call charges, BTTB officials told the meeting.
The meeting also decided to formulate a guideline on reduction in BTTB's call charges and connection fees by April 2008.