The iPhone users in Bangladesh may not get the experience of 4G/LTE mobile phone services immediately after the introduction of the fastest data service due to technological ground of Apple.

Mobile phone network operators (MNOs) in the country has said the US tech giant is yet to do ‘carrier setting update’ in its devices for Bangladesh to offer 4G/LTE service.

Talking to journalist, Robi head of regulatory affairs Shahed Alam said normally it will take one month or more to bring the carrier setting update after informing Apple about getting 4G/LTE license.

Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) chairman Dr Shahjahan Mahmood said: “I came to know the issue recently but the MNOs did not bring it to our attention formally yet.”

He said they are looking after the issue.  BTRC will hand over 4G/LTE license to four MNOs on February 19 next and the MNOs are set to offer the service to their customers from February 20.

But, over 15 lakh iPhone users along with many iPad users may not experience the taste of 4G/LTE service from the first day.

A top official of MNOs said Apple didn’t bring the carrier setting update for their devices in Bangladesh as the MNOs were not offering 4G/LTE services. “When the MNOs will inform Apple that they are offering 4G/LTE, it will bring the necessary update.”

He, however, said it may require few time to bring the carrier setting update, which is indicated by the US technology giant after ommunication.

BTRC Secretary and Spokesperson Sarwar Alam said “I think the problem will be solved after issuing the 4G/LTE license.”

On February 13 last, BTRC held spectrum auction to introduce 4G/LTE service in the county as well as provided technology neutrality, which was a long-pending demand of the cell-phone operators.

Market leader Grameenphone and Banglalink collected 15.6 Megahertz (MHz) spectrum while another two operators—Robi and state-owned Teletalk—didn’t participate as the operators thought that they have enough airwave to offer the services.

Earlier, Grameenphone, Robi, Banglalink, Teletalk and Citycell applied for 4G/LTE license, and the BTRC declared all as eligible for the license. But, country’s first MNO Citycell Citycell, out of service since October 2016, has missed another scope to return to operations by keeping it aside of participating in the auction.