Dhaka, Dec 31 (bdnews24.com) – Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has ordered the area-based internet service providers and cyber cafes to take licence by March 31.
In a press release on Wednesday, the telecoms regulator said the application form for licence will be available at www.btrc.gov.bd.
The form has to be filled out and submitted to the commission with relevant papers.
"Legal steps will be taken against ISPs and cyber cafes without licence," warned BTRC.
BTRC also said to make the Internet accessible and reach the service to the masses at a reasonable rate, the commission will give three kinds of licences.
Under category A, thanas under Dhaka division, under B thanas under five other divisions and under C, thanas outside metropolitan areas will be given ISP licence.
The licence will be applicable for both ISPs and cyber cafes.
For A,B and C categories, the licence fees will be Tk 10,000, Tk 5,000 and Tk 1000, respectively and the yearly fees will be Tk 5000, Tk 2500 and Tk500 respectively.
The licences will be given under the open licensing system and the licensees will be able to give quality Internet and cyber cafe services.
The BTRC said it had has already coordinated different types of licences, given zonal licence, reduced license fee and withdrawn bandwidth fee.
ISP and DDSP licenxes have been unified and ISPs have been given additional facilities.
Recently, the cost of optical fibre within the country has been reduced and re-fixed, and licences for broadband access handed out, it added.
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