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BTRC fixes fees for operating VoIP
Shakhawat Hossain
1/23/2006
The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has fixed the highest licence fee for operating the Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service at Tk 5.0 million.
The lowest licence fee has been fixed at Tk 50,000 on the basis of operators' capacity as a part of introducing legal internet telephony in Bangladesh where illegal VoIP operators are draining out some Tk 10 billion a year.
In between maximum and minimum licence fees, there are at least three other categories in term of operators' capacity, said a Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board (BTTB) official.
The rates are likely to be placed before the standing committee on Post and Telecommunication Ministry meeting at the Jatiya Sangsad today (Monday).
The meeting might not only discuss the rate of licencing fees but also focus on the latest situation about a government decision a couple of years ago to introduce VoIP legally.
Though cabinet division recognised the internet telephony in late 2003 and stressed the need for systematic and legal operation of such telecommunication service to increase government revenue, no significant development was seen as yet.
Meantime, number of illegal operators has increased in the country significantly and reached several thousand, sources said.
According to Telegeography, an international telecom research organisation, Bangladesh is the third fastest growing destination for international VoIP traffic after Brazil and Nigeria, which are leading the growth in 2004 with 112 per cent and 103 per cent.
Bangladesh marked a growth of 97 percent while the average VoIP growth globally was 35 per cent during the same year.
A high official of the BTRC, country's lone telecom watchdog, said they are waiting for the government 'green signal' to invite willing operators for awarding VoIP licence.
"We have already taken necessary preparations to introduce the internet telephony on interim arrangement," said the official.
But the BTTB overseas director has put six points note of dissent that is forcing the BTRC to withhold licencing procedure.
The BTTB director stressed the need for setting up common platforms through which internet phone calls will be channelised. 'Opening up VoIP without a common platform' is not acceptable, he noted at a BTRC meeting last month.
Setting up such a common platform will take substantial time, said the BRTA official. The commission has recommended interim arrangement to stop the illegal internet telephony which costs the country dearly, he added.
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