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Bandwidth block illegal: GP, Robi

Star Business Report
Grameenphone and Robi yesterday termed "inappropriate" and "illegal" the telecom regulator's move to partially block their bandwidth since last Thursday to get them to cough up their dues.
According to the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission's audit claim, Grameenphone has Tk 12,579.95 crore pending and Robi Tk 867.24 crore.
Both the operators disputed the claim and sought arbitration last month to resolve the dispute.
But the telecom regulator's top brass said there is no scope for arbitration in the existing telecom law.
Subsequently, the BTRC has blocked 30 percent of the bandwidth capacity of the leading telecom company Grameenphone and 15 percent of Robi.
The regulator's directive to limit
bandwidth has added a burden on the customers and local business communities, said Grameenphone yesterday in a press conference held at the capital's Pan Pacific Sonargaon hotel.
Subsequently, the operator urged the BTRC to withdraw the directives and cooperate in resolving the "disputed" audit demand issue through a constructive arbitration process under the arbitration act.
After the press conference, BTRC Chairman Md Jahurul Haque spoke with journalists at his office and informed that the BTRC is monitoring customers' suffering and it will decide on the next course of action in its next commission meeting.
The two operators, who happen to be the top two in the market, have 12.25 crore subscribers between them. "Arbitration could be a process to resolve disputes and we are also in favour of that. But under the current act there is no provision. So, we need to go by the law and take action in line with that."
He said they are now proposing the government to include the arbitration procedure when the telecom act will be amended.
However, Robi said there is a specific act for arbitration that can amicably solve the problem.
"With regards to the telecom act, nowhere it says that arbitration cannot be used to solve disputes. Hence, we sincerely hope that the BTRC will be interested in pursuing the arbitration process to settle the matter once and for all," said Shahed Alam, chief corporate and regulatory affairs officer at Robi.
Draconian measures like limiting the bandwidth usage of an operator can never serve the interest of the customers in enjoying the quality of service they deserve, he said.
Robi also said the BTRC has set an unprecedented example by resorting to such an extreme measure to press home its demands based on audit that defies all rationale.
Meanwhile, the BTRC sources said they will neither accept nor reject Grameenphone's request for arbitration to resolve the disputed audit claim.
"Whenever we reject Grameenphone's request they will immediately move to the court and we will not give them that scope," said a top official requesting not to be named.
Michael Foley, chief executive officer of Grameenphone, said the company will seek an intervention of the court against the decision of the regulator.