The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has canceled the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) licenses of seven telecom operators due to expiration. The affected operators include Telebarta Limited, Ranks Telecom Limited, National Telecom Limited, Bangla Phone Limited, Westec Limited, OneTel Communication Limited, and Integrated Services Limited.
As a result, only the state-owned Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited (BTCL), along with SA Telecom in Chattogram and Nextel in Dhaka, currently hold valid PSTN licenses. According to BTRC’s records as of October 30, 2024, BTCL’s license was set to expire on January 28, 2024, while SA Telecom and Nextel Telecom Limited must renew their licenses by March 27 and April 13, respectively.
In a notice signed on Monday, January 20, by M. A. Taleb Hossain, Director of BTRC’s Licensing Division, the commission directed the seven operators to return their original license certificates to the commission and clear any outstanding dues within 30 days.
The notice stated, “As the licenses have expired and the operators have not applied for renewal, the licenses of the seven entities are hereby canceled. Any activities conducted under the canceled licenses will be considered illegal and punishable under the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulation Act, 2001.”
Background on PSTN
Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) refers to circuit-switched telephone networks that route calls through local, national, and international circuits. In the past, international calls required manual operator assistance to connect copper wires, making the process expensive.
Modern fiber-optic cables have revolutionized telecommunications, enabling thousands of calls to transmit simultaneously over a single line. This technological advancement has significantly reduced the cost of international calls, requiring only country and destination codes for connectivity.
