Telecom Turmoil: IGW Operators Decry BTRC's Proposed Topology
The International Gateway (IGW) Operators Forum has alleged that the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission’s (BTRC) newly proposed network topology is designed to serve the interests of multinational corporations while threatening the survival of local entrepreneurs.
The comments were made by the Forum’s President, Asif Siraj Rabbani, during a press briefing held at the conclusion of a workshop titled “Challenges and Prospects of the IGW Industry”, hosted at the RAOWA Convention Center in Dhaka on Sunday.
Calling the new network topology “imposed,” Rabbani posed a pointed question: “If we return to the previous chaotic condition of the IOF under the new topology, will BTRC take responsibility for that? Who will be held accountable? Imposing a new topology alone is not the solution.”
He further stated that BTRC had not engaged in any dialogue with IGW operators prior to proposing the new topology. “Only after canceling contracts did they come to the discussion table. The challenges and constraints surrounding IOS, non-IOS, and financial burdens have not been considered at all,” he said.
Rabbani also highlighted a missed revenue opportunity. “More than 30 million international incoming A2P SMS are coming every month through mobile operators from apps and websites like WhatsApp and Facebook. At 8 cents per SMS, this amounts to a revenue of $2.4 million per month. Mobile operators, however, pay only $156,000 in revenue. If we were given the opportunity, we could contribute BDT 2 billion annually to the government—eight times more than what the mobile operators are paying—while also sustaining our businesses.”
He claimed that over the last six years, IGW operators have paid over BDT 10,500 crore to BTRC in revenue shares. Despite an 88% drop in international calls due to OTT services, the industry still shares around BDT 500 crore annually. “If the ILDTS policy is upheld and the rights to A2P or international SMS services are granted, we could share BDT 2 billion in annual revenue with the government while also protecting our existence,” he added.
Speaking at the event, Vice President Abdus Salam accused BTRC of previously forcing IGW operators into new IP connections with MNOs and ICX without ensuring returns on their investments. “We haven’t recovered what we invested. Now non-IOS operators are turning into IOS. We’re worried because we haven’t been able to recover our previous investments. Despite complying with outdated directives, we’ve seen no benefits. Mobile operators are obstructing us at every turn.”
Responding to a question, Brigadier General (Retd.) Mohammad Khurshid Alam, CEO of Bangla Tel, said, “Just last year, we spent BDT 2 billion to transition from TDM to IP systems. Even if we have POPs abroad, calls can’t come in except through Dhaka and Khulna. This is against the national interest. We are prioritizing multinationals at the expense of our own country. This cannot happen. A nation cannot prosper by serving group interests.”
Brigadier General (Retd.) Mohammad Abdul Hannan, CEO of Mir Telecom Ltd., and Hasibur Rashid, Managing Director of Novotel, were also present at the briefing.
