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BTRC invites application for VSP licences

Abdullah Mamun
The telecom regulator has invited applications for voice over internet protocol service provider (VSP) licences for international call transport to stop illegal use ofVoIP
Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), the industry regulator, posted the final VSP guideline and licence application notice on its website on Sunday.
The VSP licensees will bring international calls to Bangladesh through international gateways (IGW) and take them to customers via telecom providers.
The guideline, however, did not mention how many licences will be provided. Earlier, the government planned to issue around 3,000 licences.
BTRC Chairman Zia Ahmed said the telecom ministry would finalise the number of licences to be issued.
He said when the VSP licences would be provided the number of illegal call termination would come down, as they will have to carry calls through IGWs.
Ahmed added that the amount of call termination to VSP licensees would be limited.
The government is giving the licences to provide people with easy and affordable telecom services by introducing and promoting VoIP and next generation technology, according to the VSP guideline.
The regulator will receive application from September 2 to September 6 this year, according to its web posting.
The application fee for VSP has been fixed at Tk 5,000, license fee atTk 5 lakh and annual licence fee atTk 1 lakh. Licensees will have to share 10 percent of their total revenue with the government.
Experts said the new licensees would not make any difference in the market and illegal call termination would continue as usual.
They said VoIP call is not illegal in Bangladesh as all kinds of international calls entering the country through IGW are legal. Calls that carriers bring bypassing IGW are illegal.
The government took the initiative to issue VSP licences last year to stop illegal use ofVoIP.
Bangladesh receives about 5 crore minutes calls a day from different countries and a big number of the calls enter the country through illegal channels.