Tk 0.45 per minute uniform minimum call rate for all mobile operators

Regulator BTRC has fixed Tk 0.45 per minute as the uniform minimum call rate for all mobile phone operators.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 13 August 2018, 02:05 PM
Updated : 13 August 2018, 03:21 PM

The new rate will go into effect from Monday midnight, BTRC has written to the chief executives of the four operators.    

Currently, the telecom operators charge the customers minimum Tk 0.25 per minute for on-net calls, or calls on the same operator’s network.

For off-net calls, or calls on other operators’ networks, the customers are paying minimum Tk 0.60 per minute.    

Once the new rate is effective, minimum rates for on-net and off-net calls will be same.

The customers will be charged in line with their connection packages, time and tariff plans, no matter which operator’s network they use.

The maximum call rate has been kept unchanged at Tk 2 per minute.

Value Added Tax and other duties will be applied.

The BTRC has also set the interconnection charge for off-net calls at Tk 0.14 per minute, including Tk 0.04 for interconnection exchange or ICX operators, and Tk 0.10 for call termination operators, which the mobile phone operators pay.

Those mobile phone operators that are ahead of the others in terms of subscriber base were able to boost the number of their subscribers by on-net offers and bundles, a telecom analyst told bdnews24.com.

Now the uniform rate would bring balance to the market, he added.

The people of Bangladesh were using over 150 million mobile phone SIM cards or connections as of June, according to the BTRC.

Among these connections, Grameenphone sold 70 million, Robi 44.7 million, Banglalink 33.2 million and state-owned Teletalk 3.7 million.

Robi Head of Regulatory Affairs Shahed Alam welcomed the new rate.

“The customers won’t face complexities over on-net and off-net packages. These things have become easier to the customers,” he said.

The fear that different call rates for on-net and off-net calls will create more complexities once the Mobile Number Portability or MNP system is launched is also gone now, he added.

MNP services that enable users to switch operators without changing their numbers are expected to start this year.

Banglalink Chief Corporate and Regulatory Affairs Officer Taimur Rahman also welcomed the new rate.

“We strongly believe this will give the customers more freedom in choosing network and making calls. It will play a role in easing their lifestyle,” he said.

Grameenphone Head of Communications Sayed Talat Kamal confirmed that they received the BTRC letter and will implement the directive.

Bangladesh is the last country to lift the differences between on-net and off-net call rates, according to a mobile phone operator official.

Sri Lanka launched uniform minimum call rate in 2016, he said.