Telecom Operators Are Not Prepared for Disasters: BTRC Chairman
Just a month after organizing a national workshop titled "National Emergency Telecommunication Plan and Early Warning for All", the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has expressed frustration over the lack of attention mobile operators are giving to disaster-prone areas. The three-day workshop, attended by representatives from all telecom operators, had earlier identified cell broadcast technology as a vital and reliable tool for instantly alerting vulnerable populations.
However, following a visit to flood-prone areas in Sunamganj, BTRC Chairman Major General (Retd.) Md. Emdad Ul Bari voiced his disappointment. Speaking at the launch event of Grameenphone One on Thursday, July 10, at Le Méridien Dhaka, he said, “During my visit to Haor regions, I found that there is no power, no battery backup, and no proper generator arrangements in place. This demonstrates a serious lack of attention from mobile operators in such critical areas.”
“There is no alternative to innovation in the telecom sector,” he stressed. “We need grassroots-level innovations in business models and local support. Can I locally charge batteries? Can I arrange generator services there? To ensure connectivity for people, we need these fundamental innovations. We must provide connectivity and sustain it before handing out smart devices. We're sweating over putting smartphones into people’s hands, but we’re ignoring the foundation.”
Criticizing the inflated figures surrounding smartphone penetration, he said, “We cannot just focus on services that generate revenue. Our innovation has stagnated. A decade ago, I requested all of you to patronize content creators so that local talents could flourish. You didn’t listen back then, though some steps are being taken now. That gives us hope.”
Calling for an end to fragmented efforts, he urged, “Let us move beyond the tug of war and embrace collective partnership.”
He added, “We must change our viewpoints. Telcos should work across sectors for development. Product and service improvements must focus on solving customer problems. Using AI, IoT, or cloud computing is not innovation. Real innovation is solving real problems. We must shift from fragmented to unified solutions. Countless individual lives must be brought under one platform.”
Discussing the current state of the mobile sector, the BTRC chairman noted, “There are 185 million SIMs in circulation, but no assessment shows more than 120 million people actually use them. That means 65 million people are left out. Even if we consider only adult users, 35 to 40 million people remain unconnected.”
He added, “We often boast that 75% of people are connected to the internet, but in reality, it’s no more than 60 to 70 million. More than half of the population still lacks internet access. Only about 2.25 million households have internet connectivity.”
