Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission has drafted a host of orders for mobile operators to give better services to subscribers including reduced rate for ‘pay as you go’ or P1 internet package.
The commission on Thursday posted the draft on its web site and sought public opinion by October 10.
As per the draft orders, the BTRC has suggested the mobile operators to cut down the P1 internet package or use-based charges by half.
The BTRC said that although the commission reduced the internet bandwidth to Tk 8,000 a megabyte in 2012 from Tk 72,000 in 2004, the mobile operators continued to charge P1 package subscribers Tk 0.02 a kilobyte for the last eight years.
‘The mobile company can slash the rate of Tk 0.02 by half,’ said the BTRC order.
Besides, a subscriber can use up to Tk 100 for the P1 package and if the subscriber wants to use more than Tk 100, he or she can migrate to other packages, it said.
The BTRC said that mobile operators were not following a number of directives related to SMS-based premium rate services, tariff and marketing promotions.
It said that after any subscriber made any call, a mobile operator would have to inform the subscribers about their balance and the cost of the call.
It said when a mobile operator sent subscribers an ensuring message of any service registration that message must include how to de-registration from the service.
The mobile operators now broadcast advertisements where they show that ‘conditions apply’, but they must add full information of the service in the advertisement, the BTRC directive said.
The human agents or interactive voice responses of any mobile operator have to receive call within 30 seconds if any subscribers want advice through helpline number.
The operators must ensure registered subscribers open the unused SIMs when the operators invite subscribers to open the unused SIMs.
For the duration of outgoing calls of pre-paid subscribers, BTRC said any recharge of Tk 10-Tk 100 will remain valid for 30 days for outgoing calls, Tk 101-Tk 200 for 45 days, Tk 201-Tk 299 for 60 days, Tk 301-Tk 500 for 120 days , Tk 501- Tk 999 for 180 days and more than Tk 1000 for 360 days.
BTRC asked people to send their opinion on the draft orders to rhassan@btrc.gov.bd and sunjib@btrc.gov.bd
-With New Age input
