BTRC launches enquiry<\/strong><\/span>
\nThe telecom regulator has launched an enquiry into the mobile phone operator Grameenphone\u2019s move to sell its old numbers at prices up to Tk 30,199 per connection.
\nBangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission officials said such high prices for SIM connection were not permitted by the BTRC.\u00a0They said GP only took permission for selling its old numbers starting with 01711, which were no longer in use, but there was no mention about the prices for the numbers.
\n\u2018After reaching 5 crore active subscribers, GP said it had some old numbers under its initial prefix of 01711. So the commission allowed the company to sell the old numbers,\u2019 a BTRC official told New Age.
\nAccording to GP offer, the company is selling old numbers at Tk 30,199 for old premium category A and at Tk 2,000 for old premium category B under the \u2018Get Special, Be Special\u2019 campaign.
\nA regular SIM of GP is available only at Tk 150 to Tk 200 where the company pays government Tk 300 tax per SIM.
\n\u2018We have noticed the GP campaign to sell its old SIMs at huge prices and launched an enquiry into the matter as it doesn\u2019t seem lawful,\u2019 BTRC secretary Md Sarwar Alam told New Age on Monday.
\nHe said that commission took the issue with due priority and would soon come to a decision.
\n\u2018We are highly concerned about the consumer rights in telecom services and we will prove that with action,\u2019 he said.
\nAsked about the issue, GP\u2019s head of external communication Syed Talat Kamal told New Age that the company was unaware of any such regulatory move.
\n\u2018As far my knowledge we did not receive any such query from the BTRC until now,\u2019 he said.
\nAnother BTRC official said initially GP submitted the proposal to System and Services Division of the BTRC but failed to get approval from the division.
\n\u2018Later it moved the application to Engineering and Operation Division and got it passed from there,\u2019 he said.
\nHe said the commission was also looking into whether GP notified the owners of the old numbers before offering those to new customers.
\n\u2018As far as the telecom service is concerned, the old numbers do not provide any added facility than the regular numbers. It is irrational when a company sells its same product with such a price difference,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n

-With New Age<\/strong> input<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

BTRC launches enquiry The telecom regulator has launched an enquiry into the mobile phone operator Grameenphone\u2019s move to sell its old numbers at prices up to Tk 30,199 per connection. Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission officials said such high prices for SIM connection were not permitted by the BTRC.\u00a0They said<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_editorskit_title_hidden":false,"_editorskit_reading_time":0,"_editorskit_is_block_options_detached":false,"_editorskit_block_options_position":"{}","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n