Economic Reporter :
Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has announced a fresh schedule for the long-awaited mobile number portability (MNP) auction on September 28, instead of September 21, to give mobile phone subscribers a portable advantage
Telecom regulatory body recently came up with the new MNP auction date through its official website.
According to the new schedule, the name of the qualified bidders will be disclosed on September 7. The date for submission of bid earnest money is now fixed on September 18, letter of acceptance or rejection is September 20 while consultation of auction procedure will be held on September 25.
MNP allows the subscribers to switch their services among operators without changing their phone numbers.
On August 10, the regulator announced a schedule for MNP auction procedures, keeping the auction date unchanged on September 21.
But finally, the regulator changed auction date announcing all the fresh auction schedule procedures.
Earlier on June 14, BTRC had set June 16 for the invitation of application while last date of submission of any query was on June 30.
Base price of the auction will be fixed at Tk1 crore while bank guarantee would be Tk1 crore.
The annual license renewal fee will be Tk20 lakh while the company will have to share 5.5 percent revenue with the BTRC.
The commission has fixed Tk1 lakh as the application fee and bid earnest money would be Tk10 lakh.
After the bidding process, a license will be given to an independent company for 15 years to run the MNP system.
The company will have to roll out the MNP service within six months after given the license.
Once the MNP is introduced, customers can switch from one mobile phone operator to another, while keeping their number unchanged within the country’s territory and they can avail the facility again after 40 days with a subscription fee of Tk30.
Any registered Bangladeshi company can participate in the bidding but no mobile operators are eligible for the bidding.
72 countries, including neighbouring India and Pakistan have already adopted the popular system for their customers while Singapore is the pioneer in the field.
Any Bangladeshi or expatriate Bangladeshi owned company registered in the country will be eligible to bid in the auction, but foreign companies partnered with Bangladeshi ones can also take part in the auction.
The foreign companies, however, can hold as high as a 51 percent share, and must invest in foreign currency with no chance to mobilise funds from the Bangladeshi market.
Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has announced a fresh schedule for the long-awaited mobile number portability (MNP) auction on September 28, instead of September 21, to give mobile phone subscribers a portable advantage
Telecom regulatory body recently came up with the new MNP auction date through its official website.
According to the new schedule, the name of the qualified bidders will be disclosed on September 7. The date for submission of bid earnest money is now fixed on September 18, letter of acceptance or rejection is September 20 while consultation of auction procedure will be held on September 25.
MNP allows the subscribers to switch their services among operators without changing their phone numbers.
On August 10, the regulator announced a schedule for MNP auction procedures, keeping the auction date unchanged on September 21.
But finally, the regulator changed auction date announcing all the fresh auction schedule procedures.
Earlier on June 14, BTRC had set June 16 for the invitation of application while last date of submission of any query was on June 30.
Base price of the auction will be fixed at Tk1 crore while bank guarantee would be Tk1 crore.
The annual license renewal fee will be Tk20 lakh while the company will have to share 5.5 percent revenue with the BTRC.
The commission has fixed Tk1 lakh as the application fee and bid earnest money would be Tk10 lakh.
After the bidding process, a license will be given to an independent company for 15 years to run the MNP system.
The company will have to roll out the MNP service within six months after given the license.
Once the MNP is introduced, customers can switch from one mobile phone operator to another, while keeping their number unchanged within the country’s territory and they can avail the facility again after 40 days with a subscription fee of Tk30.
Any registered Bangladeshi company can participate in the bidding but no mobile operators are eligible for the bidding.
72 countries, including neighbouring India and Pakistan have already adopted the popular system for their customers while Singapore is the pioneer in the field.
Any Bangladeshi or expatriate Bangladeshi owned company registered in the country will be eligible to bid in the auction, but foreign companies partnered with Bangladeshi ones can also take part in the auction.
The foreign companies, however, can hold as high as a 51 percent share, and must invest in foreign currency with no chance to mobilise funds from the Bangladeshi market.
