Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Mustafa Jabbar on Sunday said the government has taken an initiative to adjust the internet price at data package of mobile phone.
The minister was talking to reporters after a meeting with an eight-member delegation of Estonia led by its Foreign Minister Sven Mikser, at the Secretariat.
Terming internet is the lifeline of digital Bangladesh, Mustafa Jabbar said the government has taken a special initiative to make it easy for customer to use internet.
“The government has taken an initiative to bring discipline in the price of internet in data package for the mobile users. At present a disorganised and indiscipline situation has been prevailing in the price of internet at mobile phone but we will ensure that the situation no longer prevail like this.”
The mobile phone users have faced problem while using internet after purchasing data package from mobile phone operators as the mobile phone operators provides data for specific time but these specific package does not transfer in the data during renewal, which is a loss for customers, he said adding that “The government has taken initiative to adjust it.”
“We can only reduce the price of mobile phone but for reducing the internet tariff, an analysis report is needed from International Telecommunication Union (ITU), though a cost analysis report has already been reached at the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC),” said the minister.
The mobile operators are transforming bandwidth to package date for internet users in mobile phone and the price of bandwidth and internet package by the mobile phone operators does not maintain balance between those.
Referring to the allegations of customers in using package during off-rate and on-rate, the minister said “The government is going to launch the much awaited mobile number portability (MNP) service within the first week of October and once the service is launched the standard of mobile service will be enhanced.”
The fiber optical cable will be distributed in all unions except 772 unions of the country by December and the rest will be distributed in phases, he said.
Besides, the government has taken initiative to make wi-fi zone in government schools, colleges and madrasahs across the country, he added.
Talking about the Bangabandhu Sateillite-1, the minister said the satellite is expected to start commercial operation in the end of September on completion of the handing over process by the company Thales Alenia Space.
