BTCL receives approval for virtual network operator

This allows services to be offered under one's own name by renting another operator’s network infrastructure

Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited has received approval to operate experimentally as a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) in the country.

Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, chief advisor's special assistant on ICT, shared the development in a Facebook post on Sunday.

"The BTCL team is working to launch MVNO. Its pilot (experimental phase) will start soon," he said.

Mobile service operators generally have their own network infrastructure, spectrum, towers, and several structural installations. An MVNO is a type of operator that does not have its own telecom network infrastructure.

They can rent the network structure of another operator and offer mobile services under their own brand name. This type of company exists in many parts of the world.

Announcing the initiative to launch the MVNO experimentally, Taiyeb wrote: "Since taking charge, we have taken initiatives to unblock all types of technology. In this continuation, 5G has been launched for the first time in Bangladesh. VoLTE rollout has started in full swing. Voice over Wi-Fi has been launched. Private 5G is about to begin.

"I hope that telecom services such as Large Public Indoor (LPI), Small Cell, Network Slice, and Hotspot will also start soon. These technologies have been opened up in the new policy. Already, an auction for the important 700 MHz band has been called."