The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission is set to award WiMAX licence to Bangladesh Internet Exchange Limited by this month after changing the broadband wireless access service guideline in its favour, said BTRC officials. The BTRC in early October changed the BWA guideline following an application from the BIEL, an internet service provider, for the WiMAX licence.
The BTRC officials said the commission amended the BWA guideline in favour of the BIEL, a subsidiary of Russian company Multinet, which is providing internet services in partnership with New Generation Graphics Limited under the brand name Ollo.
‘As the BIEL has already applied, the BTRC will award this licence. The commission will also consider if any other eligible company applies for WiMAX licence,’ a senior BTRC official told New Age on Monday.
‘But we are not going to call for applications,’ he said.
He also said that the BIEL had links with powerful ruling party high-ups which was the main reason for the BTRC to favour the company.
The BTRC official said the commission would award the WiMAX licence to BIEL with 4G technology at 20MHz spectrum on the 2,600 band.
There was severe controversy about the BTRC move to award the BIEL the WiMAX licence at the price of Tk 215 crore which was the price of last WiMAX auction in 2008.
The BTRC was set to provide four licences in 2008 but only two companies, Banglalion Communications and Augere Wireless Broadband Bangladesh, finally fulfilled all the requirements to get the licence.
The BIEL took part in the WiMAX permit auction by the BTRC on September 24, 2008. The company, however, remained unsuccessful to get the licence and withdraw itself from the process.
Several BTRC officials criticised the move to award BIEL the licence at last auction price as the spectrum assignment needs an auction to determine the price.
They said such practice would set examples for future spectrum assignment which would be embarrassing for the BTRC.
BTRC chairman Sunil Kanti Bose on several occasions said that the number of WiMAX licence was less than the requirement and also the service quality was not up to the mark.
He said the new WiMAX licence would ensure competition on the market and the users would get better rates and service.
-With New Age input
