NTTN License Line-up: Four Firms Apply Amid Regulatory Restrictions

Four entities have formally submitted applications to the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) seeking Nationwide Telecommunication Transmission Network (NTTN) licenses. The applicants include Mango Teleservices Ltd, a nationwide ISP; VEON, the parent company of mobile operator Banglalink; Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) under the ICT Division; and Army Transmission Company Limited (ATCL), a military-affiliated organization.

Among them, Mango Teleservices submitted its application for the second time on September 30, 2024. However, according to licensing guidelines, an organization holding a nationwide ISP license cannot simultaneously hold an NTTN license under the same entity name. Consequently, BTRC has decided not to grant an NTTN license to Mango Teleservices and is expected to issue an official notification to that effect soon.

Meanwhile, Clause 5.04 of the NTTN guidelines states that shareholders of mobile phone operators are ineligible to apply for an NTTN license. This disqualifies VEON from consideration. However, BTRC has not immediately rejected VEON’s application. Instead, it has decided to seek prior approval from the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology based on recommendations from the Network Topology Reform Committee. Any further action regarding the application will be taken after government approval of the proposed policy.

According to market analysts, the remaining two applicants—BCC and ATCL—stand a better chance of acquiring new licenses. However, ATCL’s application was not submitted through BTRC’s License Issuance and Management System (LIMS) portal but via the government’s digital file management platform, ‘D-Nothi’. As a result, BTRC will review the application upon formal receipt through the proper channel. At this stage, BCC appears to be the front-runner.

BCC has previous experience in managing transmission infrastructure. On May 22, 2023, under the previous government, it entered into a public-private partnership (PPP) agreement with Summit Communications Ltd and Fiber@Home Ltd to maintain, upgrade, replace, and operate high-speed internet infrastructure across 2,600 union councils. The project, part of the Info-Sarker III initiative, has drawn criticism due to the 20-year duration of the agreement. Summit Communications was assigned 1,293 unions, while Fiber@Home was tasked with 1,307.

Currently, three state-owned entities—Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Ltd (BTCL), Bangladesh Railway, and Power Grid Company of Bangladesh Ltd (PGCB)—hold NTTN licenses. In the private sector, Fiber@Home Ltd, Summit Communications Ltd, and BAHON Ltd operate under NTTN licenses to deploy nationwide fiber transmission networks.

According to BTRC documents, there are presently six licensed NTTN operators in Bangladesh, collectively responsible for laying approximately 148,000 kilometers of optical fiber.

Among private operators, Fiber@Home, the country’s first NTTN licensee (since 2008), has deployed around 50,000 kilometers of fiber; Summit Communications covers 40,000 kilometers; and the newest entrant, BAHON Ltd, has laid 7,817 kilometers. In the public sector, BTCL has 40,000 kilometers, Bangladesh Railway 3,800 kilometers, and PGCB 8,500 kilometers of optical fiber.

Additionally, government initiatives such as Info-Sarker III and Connected Bangladesh have added around 35,000 kilometers of fiber-optic infrastructure. Mobile network operators collectively maintain about 8,200 kilometers of fiber.