BTRC orders bandwidth cuts for Grameenphone, Robi over 'unpaid dues'

The telecom regulator has ordered cuts in the bandwidth for Grameenphone and Robi in a reprisal for the failure of the two top mobile telecom operators to pay “dues” found in audit despite reminders.

The order to International Internet Gateway or IIG operators will limit Grameenphone’s bandwidth capacity by 30 percent and Robi’s 15 percent, according to an official of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission.

Describing the BTRC decision as “unprecedented”, Robi said the bandwidth cut will ultimately harm the users. 

In a similar response to the BTRC move, Grameenphone has questioned the legitimacy of the regulator’s decision.

The BTRC engineering and operations department sent separate notices to the five IIG operators of Bangladesh, asking those to limit Grameenphone and Robi’s bandwidth on Thursday.

In the notices, BTRC said Grameenphone was yet to pay about Tk 125.8 billion and Robi over Tk 8.67 billion in “dues found in audit”.

It asked the IIG operators not to allocate new bandwidth to these two operators.

A BTRC official said limiting the bandwidth capacity may lead to a rise in dropped calls and fall in internet speed.

Both the operators objected to the BTRC’s claim of over Tk 125 billion in dues and proposed settlement after the telecom regulator in August last year wrote to the two operators asking them to pay.

A view of the GP headquarters in Dhaka.

Robi logos at its headquarters in Dhaka.

Robi Head of Corporate and Regulatory Affairs Shahed Alam said BTRC did not pay heed to the operator’s proposal and is trying to force the company now.

In response to bdnews24.com’s request for comments, he said in a written statement: “The customers will face many problems because of this decision by BTRC. The mobile service regulator has set an unprecedented example by taking such a decision on the basis of an questionable audit, which is harmful for the subscribers."

He also said Robi is confident it will be able to provide the users with maximum service despite limited bandwidth.

Grameenphone in a statement said the BTRC instruction “disregards our invitation” to the regulator for a “constructive” arbitration process on the audit.

“The decision to forcefully reduce bandwidth runs counter to supporting customer interests,” the telecom operator with the largest subscriber base in Bangladesh said.

“This instruction seems to be designed to penalise our gateway partners and could have a negative impact on millions of Bangladeshi data users. We are surprised by the instruction and question the legality of this action," it added.

BTRC did not answer questions pertaining to the allegations raised by the two operators.

Its Directro Md Zakir Hossain Khan confirmed in a statement that it made the decision to cut the two operators’ bandwidth capacity because they did not pay up the “dues”.

“The commission hopes the two operators will clear the dues soon in a bid to serve their users at the normal speed,” he added.