IGW, WiMAX licence after policy review: BTRC

The licence for IGW and WiMAX will be awarded after reviewing International Long Distance Telecommunication Policy, the telecoms regulator said. “We are reviewing the policy to open the licence to WiMAX and International Gateway. It will take two to three months to finish,” Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission chairman Zia Ahmed told a workshop. Reve Systems organised the workshop titled ‘Technology Trends in IP Telephony’. “We want to give validity to the illegal business by reviewing the policy. I ask the people involved with the business to think about people’s welfare,” he said.
“Many think VoIP (voice over internet protocol) should be allowed. I agree with them.”

“But it requires a proper atmosphere.”

State minister for ICT Yafes Osman said: “We want to offer service. We believe in public-private partnership.”

“We are not here for policing.”

During the 2007-2008 caretaker government’s regime BTRC licensed four companies to run IGW operations, who are to pay it 62.5 percent of the revenue. It also nominated three companies for providing WiMAX licnece in exchange for Tk 215 crore.

Two companies have so far paid for licence.

Source: bdnews24