Clarifies BTRC
The mobile phone companies would be allowed to use own surplus funds for paying the licence fee, spectrum acquisition fee and roll-out expense for obtaining 3G licence,
the telecom regulator has recently clarified the operators.
The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission sent a clarification to the mobile phone companies after the operators submitted more than 100 questions to the commission about various aspects of the 3G guideline.
The BTRC clarification also said the operators would be allowed to get loans from local sources during the 36 months of roll-out period if any operators can meet the roll-out criteria before the deadline.
It also allowed operators to sell the asset to any foreign buyers for paying the licence fee, spectrum acquisition fee and roll-out expense of the 3G operation.
According to the 3G guideline, any foreign partner of an entity who wins the 3G auction will have to invest foreign currency directly equal to its percentage of ownership.
It also said no loans from any local sources will be allowed to any foreign partner of a firm for making payment of any 3G-related services.
The BTRC is scheduled to hold the 3G auction for awarding four 3G mobile service licences as per the guideline on June 24.
The telecom regulator will award three licences to three out of five mobile companies operating in the country and one to any foreign firm. Another local operator, the state-run Teletalk, has already got the 3G licence by default.
A total 40 MHz of spectrum will be auctioned for eight blocks where a single bidder will be able to bid for maximum two blocks. The operators could get one additional block if any block remains unsold.
The minimum allocation for a spectrum block is 5 MHz with base price of $20 million for each MHz.
The validity period for a 3G licence will be 15 years which would be renewed in every five years.
-With New Age input
