Is Signs of Discord Emerge Over Robi-Banglalink Unity?

Highlighting diverging engineering strategies across the national wireless connectivity landscape, telecom operators Robi Axiata PLC and Banglalink have taken contradictory regulatory positions regarding the release of EGSM (880–888.4 MHz) spectrum. Just eight months after joining forces to boycott the 700 MHz band auction won by the market leader, their unified technical front has unraveled over foundational frequency planning.

According to official correspondence submitted to the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), Banglalink lodged a petition on September 21 requesting a pause on major spectrum assignments until the upcoming National Telecom Policy is formalized, while Robi submitted an opposing appeal on September 24 urging the immediate and contiguous release of EGSM frequencies.

In its formal representation, Banglalink contended that the forthcoming policy draft is poised to introduce crucial architectural frameworks, including active infrastructure sharing, spectrum pooling, and Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) structures. The operator maintained that assigning sub-GHz airwaves prior to policy completion risks frequency fragmentation and suboptimal spectrum utilization. Banglalink Chief Corporate and Regulatory Affairs Officer Taimur Rahman told to digibanglatech.news reporter that while the company endorses deploying EGSM to optimize propagation coverage, decisions bearing long-term investment consequences should align with the finalized regulatory roadmap scheduled for November.

In contrast, Robi maintained that pending policy reviews present no technical barrier to commercial frequency deployment. Robi Axiata PLC Chief Corporate and Regulatory Officer (CCRO) and Company Secretary Mohammed Shahedul Alam told digibanglatech.news reporter that spectrum requirements are dictated by individual infrastructure capacities, subscriber density, and network expansion pipelines. Robi stressed that deploying EGSM frequencies without delay is essential for elevating indoor 4G propagation across metropolitan centers and rural geographies. Furthermore, Robi underlined the necessity of contiguous, non-fragmented spectrum allocations to maintain operational stability and guarantee sustained capital investments across domestic network upgrades.

Addressing the regulatory discord, BTRC Chairman Major General Md Emdad Ul Bari (Retd) informed industry stakeholders that the upcoming policy does not overlap with ongoing spectrum allocation schedules. He clarified that the proposed framework centers on licensing architecture and network restructuring, meaning existing frequency assignments remain fully compliant with current telecom guidelines. BTRC confirmed that Banglalink's objection will not derail the planned allocation mechanism designed to upgrade nationwide indoor penetration for Banglalink’s 37.9 million subscribers and Robi’s customer base of 59 million.

//DBTech/AKF/MIST/IH//