BANGLADESH

Now bangladesh start their 3g licence work in step 3.when 3g comes bangladesh fully then we are get good tecnology and our communication will be fast.The telecom regulator has proposed to award licences for 3G mobile service in the country on Sep 3.

In its draft guideline for issuing licence, the regulator – Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) – has also clarified that in all, five mobile phone operators would be awarded 3G licence and not four, as decided previously.

BTRC chairman Maj Gen (retd) Zia Ahmed confirmed that the draft titled "Cellular Mobile Phone Service (3G/4G/LTE) Regulatory Licence Guideline 2012" was forwarded to the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications on Wednesday afternoon.

He said the process of distributing the licence would begin once the ministry finalises the draft.

Earlier, BTRC finalised the draft guidelines providing scope for awarding 3G mobile service licence with options to upgrade to 4G and long-term evolution (LTE) without any extra fees.

3G LICENCE AWARDEES

Teletalk will get the licence as the state-owned firm while three others would be selected from the existing five private mobile operating companies. The fifth one to get the licence will be a new operator, said Zia.

The licence would be valid for a period of 15 years.

AUCTION TECHNICALITIES

According to the draft guideline, the licences will be auctioned again if at least two operators do not take licences.

Zia Ahmed, however, expressed hope that more than five operators would be eager to buy licences.

AUCTION PROCESS BEGINS MAY 7

The draft states that advertisement for the auction would be published on May 7.

The operators will have to apply to take part in the auction on July 12 and the name of the operators eligible to take part in the auction would be made public on July 19.

BTRC chairman said the draft proposes $30 million as bid money for every megahertz of spectrum.

If the draft gets final nod, the operators will have to pay Tk 500,000 to apply for the auction and Tk 100 million as the licence fee. The licence holders will have to pay 5.5 percent revenue sharing and one percent social obligation fees every year.

LICENCE HANDOVER WITHIN NOVEMBER

The draft says that every operator willing to take the licences will have to pay the same amount as called by the highest bidder.

"The operators will receive the licences within 60 working days from the day bidding is held", Zia Ahmed said referring to the guideline.

3G ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN 3 YRS

The draft guideline proposes to take 3G services to other parts of the country within three years. "The operators will have to extend network in three phases."

It also talks of Tk 1.5-billion bank guarantee for a 3G licence, out of which BTRC would take away Tk 500 million if the operators fail to meet any phase of the targeted network. In case of their success in one phase, Tk 500 million would be refunded.

Old operators, who already have 2G services, would have to finish the first phase of network expansion in six divisions within six months and the new ones within a year.

Old operators will be given 18 months for the second phase of network expansion in 30 percent districts and new ones will get two years.

The last phase will have to be finished within three years of licence issuance.