BTRC to fine Banglalink Tk 17 crore

The telecom regulator BTRC will fine Banglalink Tk 17 crore for violating the Telecommuni-cation Act 2001 by setting up base transceiver stations (BTSs) without taking permission from the authorities. Bangladesh Teleco-mmunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has already made its decision and will issue a notice to the mobile phone operator within this week asking Banglalink to pay the fine.

The Commission made the decision in its commission meeting held on Wednesday last. “The decision was finalised to fine Banglalink for setting up BTSs near border area, but the Commission is yet to decide about removal of the BTSs,” a senior official of BTRC told The Independent. BTRC took the decision after six months since the issue was discussed in its commission meeting in February, 2017. Although Banglalink had set up the towers in 2013, it sought approval from the BTRC on June 22, 2016.

Prior to that, the BTRC did not have any knowledge of the Banglalink mobile towers set up near the border.

At that time, BTRC Chairman Dr Shahjahan Mahmood said the operator had set up 433 mobile towers in border areas without permission from the BTRC.

“According to BTRC rules, a telecom operator needs a no-objection certificate from security forces as well as permission from the telecom regulator to set up a BTS within eight km from the border. In this case, the operator has violated both the rules,” he added.

According to the minutes of the 201st meeting of the

commission, it is a security threat to set up a BTS in border areas without permission from the authorities concerned.

According to BTRC insiders, it was not expected that Banglalink would set up mobile towers in border areas by violating the rules willingly.

 “It is necessary to take action against Banglalink for the offence, otherwise it will set a bad precedent for other operators,” said a senior BTRC official on condition of anonymity. “The telecom operator has previous record of committing irregularities and ignoring BTRC rules,” the official added.

However, the commission did not take any action against Banglalink till now.

Banglalink Digital Communications Limited is a fully owned company of Telecom Ventures Ltd. which is a 100 per cent owned subsidiary of Global Telecom Holding. VEON owns 51.9 per cent shares of global telecom holding following a business combination in April 2011, between VEON lt. (then VimpelCom) and wind telecom.

BTRC to fine Banglalink Tk 17 crore

The telecom regulator BTRC will fine Banglalink Tk 17 crore for violating the Telecommuni-cation Act 2001 by setting up base transceiver stations (BTSs) without taking permission from the authorities. Bangladesh Teleco-mmunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has already made its decision and will issue a notice to the mobile phone operator within this week asking Banglalink to pay the fine. The Commission made the decision in its commission meeting held on Wednesday last. The decision was finalised to fine Banglalink for setting up BTSs near border area, but the Commission is yet to decide about removal of the BTSs, a senior official of BTRC told The Independent. BTRC took the decision after six months since the issue was discussed in its commission meeting in February, 2017. Although Banglalink had set up the towers in 2013, it sought approval from the BTRC on June 22, 2016. Prior to that, the BTRC did not have any knowledge of the Banglalink mobile towers set up near the border. At that time, BTRC Chairman Dr Shahjahan Mahmood said the operator had set up 433 mobile towers in border areas without permission from the BTRC. According to BTRC rules, a telecom operator needs a no-objection certificate from security forces as well as permission from the telecom regulator to set up a BTS within eight km from the border. In this case, the operator has violated both the rules, he added. According to the minutes of the 201st meeting of the commission, it is a security threat to set up a BTS in border areas without permission from the authorities concerned. According to BTRC insiders, it was not expected that Banglalink would set up mobile towers in border areas by violating the rules willingly. It is necessary to take action against Banglalink for the offence, otherwise it will set a bad precedent for other operators, said a senior BTRC official on condition of anonymity. The telecom operator has previous record of committing irregularities and ignoring BTRC rules, the official added. However, the commission did not take any action against Banglalink till now. Banglalink Digital Communications Limited is a fully owned company of Telecom Ventures Ltd. which is a 100 per cent owned subsidiary of Global Telecom Holding. VEON owns 51.9 per cent shares of global telecom holding following a business combination in April 2011, between VEON lt. (then VimpelCom) and wind telecom.