Broadband News: Land phones with Broadband Line by December, 2008

Dhaka, 2008 Oct 10 - Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited will start connecting land phones with broadband internet connections by December, a senior government official said on Friday.

Telecommunications secretary Iqbal Mahmood told bdnews24.com that internet connections would initially be given to some districts in addition to Dhaka.

Mahmood said 26 telephone exchanges were being prepared for the service.

The state-run company will use Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line or ADSL technology that helps landline users to access phone and internet on the same line, a senior BTCL official said.

The users will have to install a modem costing up to Tk 5,000 for the service.

The speedy internet connection will be available for BTCL phone users at a competitive price.

A BTCL official preferring anonymity said users of Dhaka, Chittagong, Sylhet, Khulna, Rajshahi, Bogra and some other districts would get broadband internet connection initially.

He said the BTCL would charge less than private companies for the service.

Digital phone users can use dial-up internet without any connection fee. It charges Tk 0.10 per minute in off-peak hours and Tk 0.15 during peak hours or Tk 6 and Tk 9 per hour respectively.

BTCL provides digital data network service in 71 areas in 41 districts.

Internet service providers have over 10 lakh subscribers and BTCL has about 30,000 internet users.

Mobile phone and PSTN operators have approximately 50 lakh internet users.

The government is going to allow 170 more private firms to provide internet connections.

 

Courtesy: bdnews24.com

Guidelines for use of Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) Technology in Bangladesh

I get to manage the draft guideline below that has been posted in BTRC website. You can have a look.

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BANGLADESH TELECOMMUNICATION REGULATORY COMMISSION

Guidelines for use of Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) Technology in Bangladesh

1. INTRODUCTION:

1.1.    Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (the Commission) has the responsibility under the Bangladesh Telecommunication Act 2001 (the Act) to ensure access to reliable and reasonably priced Internet-services for the greater number of people, as far as practicable. With this aim in view, the Commission is considering the use of Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) Technology for last mile access solutions to open up new possibilities and create enabling situation for greater Internet penetration at an affordable cost.

1.2.    The Commission is hereby providing guidelines for the approved commercial/non-commercial use of the Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) band frequencies in Bangladesh using the Wi-Fi technology in order to ensure rapid expansion of services and accelerated increase in Internet penetration.

1.3.    These guidelines are to be read subject to the Act and other relevant laws and in conjunction with the respective operators' license conditions.

1.4.    These guidelines may be withdrawn, revised, updated or amended from time to time, without any prior notice, to take into consideration various factors including but not limited to, any threat to public health, national interest, national security and pursuant to statute or court orders.





2. OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES:

2.1.    As per the National Frequency Allocation Plan 2005 (NFAP 2005), spectrum from the ISM band in 2.4000-2.4835 GHz and 5.725-5.875 GHz is allocated for Wi-Fi use.

2.2.    Access to the spectrum will be on shared basis. There will be no exclusive assignment to any individual or organizations, whether for private, public or commercial use.

2.3.    Any Government or Private Organization/Educational Institution/Corporate Body can establish and use Wi-Fi Network on non commercial/non-profit basis.

2.4.    Household/private users are not required to take any permission from the Commission or pay any levy/charge for using Wi-Fi in the given ISM band.

2.5.    Both indoor and outdoor Wi-Fi is permitted in the given spectrum of ISM band. However, the maximum power output for the Wi-Fi equipment is limited to 1 watt.

2.6.    All commercial Wi-Fi Hotspot operators/service providers shall possess an ISP or equivalent License (e.g., BWA License). Existing operators having such License from the Commission will be eligible to establish Wi-Fi network for providing last mile solution.

2.7.    Operators/service providers will submit a detailed list of Wi-Fi outdoor Hotspots to the Commission. There will be levy/charges applicable annually for all hotspots. The levy/charge shall be charged as per the Rate List published by the Commission.

2.8.    All service providers will obtain permission in the form of No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Commission for importation, deployment, use and providing any service with Wi-Fi equipment. Guideline for Application and Application form is available at http://www.btrc.gov.bd. Existing ISM band operators who wish to adapt their present Wi-Fi equipment for the same purpose may also be provided permission from the Commission on case by case basis.

2.9.    All vendors in possession of "Dealer Possession And Radio Communication Equipment Vendor License" issued by the Commission are eligible to apply for NOC for importation and marketing of Wi-Fi equipment in Bangladesh.

2.10.The Commission reserves the right to cancel the permission if any complication arises anytime.

Link: here

WIMAX in Bangladesh: Two license holder fail to pay

Courtesy: bdnews24.com

Dhaka, Oct 19 —Two of the three WiMAX licensees have failed to pay the required fees in time, forcing the regulators to extend the deadline by a month.

BTRC Sunday cited the global financial crisis as the reason when it announced the extension of the deadline from Oct 16 to Nov 15.

Brac BDMail Network and M/s BanglaLion Communications will now get this extra time to pay up half the Tk 215 crore fee.

"Considering the global crisis, and taking into account the petitions from the winning bidders, the 10-working day time for depositing half the license fee has been extended to Nov 15," BTRC chairman Manzurul Alam told bdnews24.com.

Losing bidders, however, began complaining.

"If we knew such an opportunity would come, many of us would have offered more money for license," said Syed Masud Kabir, managing director of Mango Teleservices.

The guideline, he said, spoke of 10 working days and no scope for an extension. But, he admitted, the commission reserved the right to amend the guideline.

The BTRC chairman disagreed.

"This is not right. The entire license fee will have to be deposited in 90 days.

"If they fail, other companies in line will get the licenses.

"The global crisis struck immediately after the bidding (on Sept 24)," he said.

The BTRC chief said India too suspended the 3-G licensing process because of the crisis.

The other winning company, Augere Wireless Broadband Bangladesh Ltd, was handed the license Sunday by the BTRC chairman following its payment of the required fee in time, a BTRC statement said.