Three mobile phone companies— Grameenphone, Robi and Airtel— got the 3G license on Thursday for providing 3G cellular services while two other operators, including state-run Teletalk, were yet to clear the payment. BTRC officials said the mobile phone companies also got 4G and LTE licenses with the 3G license and they would be able to launch 4G services without any further formality.
The four operators — Grameenphone, Banglalink, Robi and Airtel— bought 25 MHz spectrum on Sunday in the 3G spectrum auction from available 40MHz by paying only $21 million for each MHz whereas the opening base price was $20 million a MHz.
The government expected that it would net in revenue worth at least $800 million from four licences but it got only $525 million as GP took 10MHz with $210 million, Banglalink, Robi and Airtel took 5 MHz each with $105 million.
BTRC officials said GP submitted Tk 979.65 crore as spectrum fee, Tk 10 crore as licence acquisition fee and 4.94 crore as VAT on Monday after it won 10MHz spectrum in the auction on Sunday.
They said Robi paid 489.82 crore as spectrum fees, Tk 10 crore as licence acquisition fee and Tk 2.47 crore as VAT on Tuesday while Airtel made same payment on Thursday as both took 5MHz spectrum in the auction.
Banglalink, however, paid the full amount of licence acquisition fees but deposited only Tk 50 lahk as spectrum charges, said BTRC officials.
They said the state-run operators Teletalk will have to pay the same amount for acquiring the license as GP got 10MHz spectrum without bidding in the auction.
According to the 3G guideline, the four companies have to deposit 60 per cent of the auction winning price in Taka or equivalent US dollar within 30 working days from the auction result notification and remaining 40 per cent in 180 days.
The operators will get the licences for 15 years with an option to launch 4G and LTE services.
‘Banglalink and Teletalk have time for about a week to clear the payment and collect the license,’ a BTRC official told New Age.
He said the post and telecommunication ministry, however, was pressing the BTRC to give the license to Teletalk without clearing the payment.
‘As Teletelk is a government operator so the government can decide anything about it. If the government gives written order then BTRC is bound to provide the license,’ he said.
He also said the three operators also got the no objection certificate for importing necessary machineries for 3G operation.
Officials of different mobile companies said all eligible companies are in a race to launch the 3G services as soon as possible in order to roll out the business.
GP and Robi in separate press briefings after the auction said that they would launch limited 3G service in specific areas of Dhaka and Chittagong.
They also said by December the divisional headquarters will be under the 3G network.
According to the BTRC’s roll-out plan the operators must have to launch the 3G service within six months from getting the licence and reach out the service to all divisional headquarters within nine months.
-With New Age input
