BTRC Workshop Focuses on Telecom Infrastructure Sharing

A key workshop is underway at the conference room of the BTRC building in Agargaon, Dhaka, aimed at strengthening telecommunications infrastructure sharing and enabling cost-efficient network expansion. The day-long event has brought together policymakers, mobile operators, tower companies, NTTN providers, ISPs, and representatives from various related sectors. Discussions are focusing on cost reduction in telecom network expansion, active and passive network sharing, 5G readiness at the grassroots level, and policy frameworks.

At the outset, BTRC Commissioner of the Engineering and Operations Division Brigadier General Iqbal Ahmed delivered the welcome address, outlining the context of the discussions.

While speaking as the chief guest, BTRC Chairman Major General (Retd.) Md. Emdad ul Bari emphasized the need to make the country’s telecommunications sector sustainable and future-ready.

He said that infrastructure sharing is essential to building a sustainable and forward-looking telecom sector. Constructing multiple infrastructures in the same area increases costs and leads to resource wastage, which requires coordinated efforts to reduce. He further noted that active and passive infrastructure sharing is crucial for preparing for fifth-generation services, expanding connectivity in rural areas, and reducing the digital divide.

In the first session of the workshop, speakers are presenting detailed discussions on policy and regulatory frameworks. BTRC Deputy Director S M Golam Sarowar presented the existing infrastructure sharing guidelines.

Subsequently, the Director General of BTRC is scheduled to present future directions for telecom infrastructure sharing. Mohammad Monowar Sikder, Director of Regulatory Affairs and Property Management at edotco Bangladesh Company Limited, will explain international best practices, while Suman Ahmed Sabir, Chief Technology Officer of Fiber @ Home Limited, is expected to discuss licensing and regulatory challenges.

In the following panel discussion, experts are sharing practical industry experiences and challenges. Participants include BTRC Director Dr. Md. Sohel Rana; Abul Kashem Mohiuddin Al-Amin, Senior Director and Head of Network Services at Grameenphone Limited; Mashior Rahman, Chief Executive Officer of CNet Communications Limited; and Md. Golam Sarowar, General Manager (Admin and Procurement) of Bangladesh Satellite Company Limited. They are providing insights on active and passive sharing, preventing duplication of fiber networks, cost optimization in rural areas, and the economics of tower sharing.

In the second panel discussion, Director of the Spectrum Division of BTRC Md. Nurunnabi, Chief Operating Officer of Bahan Limited F M Rashed Amin, Chief Executive Officer of Kirtankhola Tower Bangladesh Limited Syed Shakil Ahmed, and ISPAB President Mohammad Aminul Hakim are exchanging views on the practical feasibility of infrastructure sharing. In the final open discussion session, Senior Director of Grameenphone Limited Abul Kashem Mohiuddin Al-Amin and Chief Operating Officer of Bahan Limited F M Rashed Amin will present policy recommendations.

With the participation of around 130 attendees in this day-long workshop, organizers stated that recommendations from the event will be used to update infrastructure sharing policies, reach consensus on pricing, and formulate a roadmap for fifth-generation infrastructure.

In the afternoon, BTRC Vice Chairman Md. Abu Bakar Siddique will deliver the closing remarks. Stakeholders expressed hope that this initiative will make the country’s telecommunications sector more integrated, efficient, and sustainable.

DBTech/IH/MUM/OR