Int’l Call Termination
Cut rate to be effective from order date
The telecom ministry on Sunday made it clear that the slashed revenue sharing and international call termination rate would be effective from September 18 despite desperate attempt by a cartel of IGW operators to get a retrospective effect from July 1. Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission officials said the ministry clarification came after a group of international gateway operators in October requested the BTRC for giving a retrospective effect of the call rate which was lowered to 1.5 cents from 3 cents.
‘The ministry in a letter today informed the BTRC that the new call rate and revenue sharing structure for the IGW operators will be effective from the issuance date of the order. We issued the order on September 18, so now there is no confusion on the matter,’ a senior BTRC official told New Age on Sunday.
The BTRC on September 18, following approval of prime minister Sheikh Hasina and an order from the telecom ministry, issued a directive to lower the international call termination rate and government revenue sharing to 40 per cent from 51.75 per cent.
The revenue sharing of the IGW operators, however, was raised to 20 per cent from 13.25 per cent.
‘As the BTRC order did not mention any date of effect, a vested group of IGW operators took the advantage and started pressing government high-ups to get a retrospective effect on new rates from July 1. The then telecom minister Latif Siddique also supported the IGW operators in the issue,’ he said.
Asked about the issue telecom secretary Faizur Rahman Chowdhury told New Age, ‘We have kept our previous directive (issued on September 18) in force on the matter.’
The first ministry order said that the new rates would come into effect from the date of issuance of the order, said the BTRC officials.
The BTRC, however, in the first week of October allowed the IGW cartel, International Gateway Operators Forum or IOF, to control the international call termination business.
The telecom regulator allowed four politically influential IGWs and three large IGWs to build the internetwork operating system switch which will be the central routing point for all international calls.
The seven IGW operators are Unique Infoway, Digicon Telecommunication, Mirtel Ltd, Bangla Trac Communications, NovoTel, Roots Communication and Global Voice telecom.
The BTRC officials said that the call charges and revenue sharing rates were lowered mainly to give benefits to the 25 IGWs which got licences in 2012 because of their strong connections with the ruling Awami League.
-With New Age input
