FREQUENT call drops and disruptions have been a bane for a large chunk of the country’s more than 16 crore mobile subscribers. Other than call drops, weak reception causes disruption in conversations, causing many subscribers to end calls and start new calls. Due to lack of spectrum, the quality of service of mobile operators has started to turn from bad to worse. Digital penetration, mobile broadband adoption, smartphone use and data traffic continue to rise sharply following the Covid-19 outbreak are adding to the pressure. This has been especially problematic during the Covid-19 pandemic, when smooth mobile connections are an imperative as many continue to work from home.
A spectrum can carry a certain amount of data, depending on the bandwidth. More bandwidth means more data and better service. The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) is offering adequate spectrum to the mobile telephone companies at a price that they say is too high. A deadlock has been prevailing over this issue for years, leading to a deterioration of mobile phone services. Grameenphone, the country’s largest mobile operator, has the lowest spectrum coverage for its users. Over 20 lakh of Grameenphone subscribers are currently occupying each MHz of the spectrum. The second largest operator, Robi Axiata Limited serves 14 lakh subscribers with the same frequency, while Banglalink has 11 lakh users in each MHz of spectrum. For each megahertz (MHz) spectrum, there are 12 lakh mobile phone users, whereas, in neighbouring Nepal, which is geographically as big as Bangladesh, each MHz spectrum is used by 3 lakh users. In Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, 1-4 lakh users share 1 MHz of spectrum.
There were 112.95 crore call drops between January and August last year, meaning an average of about 47 lakh call drops per day. To ensure better customer service, the telecom companies should invest more to increase spectrum, while the government should make the spectrum price affordable as communication is not the only a business of telecos but also considered a human right nowadays. Without smart people to people communication, the country’s economic growth would fall behind.
