The telecom sector in Bangladesh is rapidly emerging. Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) is the regulatory authority for this sector, overseeing licensing, policy, etc.
The calling code of Bangladesh is +880. There are also several SubCodes.
History
Landmarks in the history of the telecom industry in Bangladesh:
1853:
1971: Reconstructed as Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Department under the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications.
1975: Reconstructed as Telegraph and Telephone Board.
1979: Reconstructed as Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board (BTTB) with the right to issue licenses for telecom and wireless services.
1981: Digital Telex Exchange in Bangladesh.
1983: Automatic Digital ITX started in Dhaka.
1985: Coinbox Telephone service was introduced in Bangladesh by BTTB.
1989: GENTEX Telegraph messaging service introduced in Bangladesh.
1989: Bangladesh Rural Telecom Authority got a license to operate exchanges in 200 Upazila.
1989: Sheba Telecom got license to operate exchange in 199 Upazila.
1989: Cellular mobile phone company Pacific Bangladesh Telephone Limited and Bangladesh Telecom got license.
1995: Card Telephone service introduced in Bangladesh by BTTB and TSS.
1995: Regulatory power of BTTB transferred to Ministry (MoPT).
1995: 2nd and 3rd ITX installed in Dhaka.
1996: GrameenPhone got cellular mobile Telephone license.
1996: Telecom Malaysia International Bangladesh got cellular mobile license.
1998: Telecom Policy.
2000: Global Telecom Service (GTS) Telex Exchange venture with British Teleco.
2001: Telecommunication Act, to establish Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC).
2002: ICT Policy.
2004: Teletalk (BTTB bMobile) cellular mobile launched.
2005: Egypt-based Orascom acquired Sheba Telecom
2006: NGN introduced in BTTB.
2008: BTTB converted into Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited (BTCL) with 100% shares owned by Government. The Submarine Cable Project transformed into Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company Limited (BSCCL)
2008: Japanese NTT DoCoMo bought 30 percent stake in Aktel
2009: Bharti Airtel acquired 70 percent stake in Warid Telecom
2009: Internet Protocol Telephony Service Provider (IPTSP) Operators launched.
2010: Aktel rebranded to Robi Axiata Limited
2012: 3G mobile service is introduced by state owned Teletalk in October.
2013: 3G auction held for private companies
2014: 64 districts covered with 3G by Teletalk, Grameenphone, Banglalink and Robi
2016: Robi and Airtel were merged on 16 November 2016 and Robi set sail as the merged company.
2018: 4G auction held for private companies
2018: on 19 February 4G mobile service is introduced
2021: on 12 December 5G mobile service is introduced by TeleTalk
2022: on 17 March Unlimited Validity Data service is introduced by TeleTalk
2022: On 31 March 5G auction held for all Telecom companies
2023 : On 01 November, Teletalk & Banglalink jointly introduced first National Roaming Network with 20,600 Tower in Bangladesh
Structure
As defined in the National Telecommunications Policy 1998 and International Long-Distance Telecommunications Services (ILDTS) Policy 2007, all mobile operators are to interconnect through Interconnection Exchange (ICX) and all international calls to be handled by International Gateway (IGW) which is to be connected to the mobile and fixed operators through the ICXs.
The Interconnection Exchange (ICX) will receive all calls from the mobile and fixed operators whenever the call is made to another network and will pass it to the destination network if the call is local ,and will pass to the IGWs if the call is international. ICX will also deliver calls received from IGWs where the call is destined.
Below illustrate the structure of interconnection between different interfaces.
Service providers
Public switched telephone network
The number of public switched telephone network (PSTN) subscribers in Bangladesh as of February 2009 was 1.372 million. PSTN operators in Bangladesh include:
Banglaphone Ltd.
BTCL
Integrated Services Limited (ISL) – branded under the name Sheba Phone
Jalalabad Telecom Ltd. – branded under the name Bijoy Phone
Onetel Communication Ltd.
Ranks Telecom Ltd.
S.A Telecom System Ltd.
Westec Ltd.
WorldTel
Lenova.com.bd
Dhaka Telephone Co. Ltd. – Currently off the air, License canceled by BTRC
National Telecom Ltd. – Currently off the air, License canceled by BTRC
Peoples Telecommunication and Information Services Ltd. – Currently off the air, License canceled by BTRC
Tele Barta Ltd. – branded under the name Jubok phone – Currently off air
Mobile phone operators
There are four mobile phone operators in Bangladesh, operating under the names of Banglalink, Grameenphone, Robi and TeleTalk. The number of mobile phone subscribers in Bangladesh as of April 2015 was 124.705 million, having risen from the February 2009 figure of 45.21 million. As of September, 2022 the number of mobile phone subscriber has risen to 181.43 Million. [1]
Long distance operators (as per ILDTS Policy 2007)
On 25 February 2008 the Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission awarded licenses for two Interconnection Exchanges (ICX), three International Gateways (IGm), and one International Internet Gateway (IIG) to six firms through an open auction in February 2008. The incumbent BTTB got the same licenses too. And after then on 12 April 2012, the Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission awarded licenses for twenty-one Interconnection Exchanges (ICX), twenty two International Gateways (IGw), and thirty International Internet Gateway (IIG). Here is the list of all operators:
International Gateway (IGW) operators
Mir Telecom LTD
1Asia Alliance Gateway
Bangladesh International Gateway
Bangla Tel Ltd
Bangla Trac Communications
BG Tel
BTCL
Cel Telecom
DBL Telecom
DigiCon Telecommunications
First Communications
Global Voice Telecom
HRC Technologies
LR Telecom Ltd.
Kay Telecommunications
Mos5 Tel
NovoTel Limited
Platinum Communications Ltd
RanksTel
Ratul Telecom
Roots Communication
SM Communication
SongBird Telecom (formerly Hamid Sourcing)
Telex
Vision Tel
Venus Telecom LTD
Interconnection Exchange (ICX) operators
M & H Telecom LTD
Jibondhara Solutions Ltd.
Summit ICX
BTCL
Bangla ICX Ltd.
Agni ICX
CloudTel
GAZI Networks Ltd
GETCO ICX
Imam Network Ltd.
Jibondhara ICX
Ring Tech Communications Limited
MicroTrade ICX
Mother Telecommunication
New Generation Telecom Ltd
Paradise ICX
Purple Telecom Limited
Crossworld Telecom Ltd.
SR Telecom
Sheba
Softex Communications Ltd.
Tele Exchange Ltd.
Teleplus Network Ltd
Voicetel Ltd.
Bantel Limited.
Sengupta Telecom
International Internet Gateway (IIG) operator
Aamra Companies
1Asia Alliance Communication
Abir Telecommunication
Apple Communication
Bangla Phone Ltd
bdHUB
BD Link Communication Ltd
BSCCL
BTCL
Cybergate
Delta Infocom
Earth Telecommunication
Equitel Communications
Fiber @ Home
Global Fair Communications
Greenland Technologies
Intraglobe Communications
Level3 Carrier
ADN International Gateway Limited. Formerly Managewell Communication Ltd
Mango Teleservices
MaxNet Online
NovoCom
PeerEx Networks Limited
REGO Communications
CiTYCOM NETWORK
Summit Communications Limited
Internet Protocol Telephony Service Provider (IPTSP) operators
On 18 August 2009, the Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission commenced awarding licenses for IPTSP. IPTSP operators are regulated by the BTRC. Current IPTSP operators in Bangladesh are:
Nationwide:
Systems Solutions & Development Technologies Limited[SSD-TECH]. (prefix-09642)
MetroNet Bangladesh Ltd. (prefix-09612)
Icon Infotech Ltd. (prefix-09644)
Amber IT Ltd. (prefix-09611)
Telnet Communication Ltd.
Link3 Technologies Ltd. (prefix-09678)
BDCOM Online Ltd. (prefix-09666)
Access Telecom (BD) Ltd. (prefix-09622)
ADN Telecom Ltd. (formerly Advanced Data Network Systems Ltd) (prefix-09610)
Agni Systems Ltd. (prefix-09606)
Rightsoft Systems.
Akceycom Ltd.
Akij Online Ltd.
Bangladesh Export Import Company Ltd.
Bangladesh Internet Exchange Ltd.
BEXIMCO AND SQUARE (prefix-09609)
BRACNet Ltd. (prefix-09677)
Broad Band Telecom Services Ltd.
BTS Communications (BD) Ltd., branded as UbernetBD
Carnival Internet
Communication One (Pvt.) Ltd.
Connect BD Ltd.
Cyber Net Communications
dhakaCom Ltd. (prefix-09611)
Digital Connectivity Ltd.
ERGO Ventures Ltd.
Global Access Ltd.
HRC Technologies Ltd.
Idea Networks And Communications Ltd.
IDS Bangladesh
Information Services Network Ltd.
Innovative Online Ltd.
InterCloud Ltd.
IS PROS Ltd.
MaxNet Online
Manor IT Ltd.
Link3 Technologies Ltd. (prefix-09678)
Nreach Net (Pvt.) Ltd.
Pritty International (Pvt) Ltd.
Ranks ITT Ltd.
Royal Green Online Ltd.
X-Net Ltd.
TeleBangla Communications Ltd.
RED Data (Pvt) Ltd.
Triangle Services LTD
Premium Connectivity Limited
Central:
Fusion Net
Grameen Cybernet Ltd.
IT Connect Ltd.
J F Optical Services
M/s. Media & Multimedia
Next Online Ltd. (Nextfone)
SADIATEC Ltd.
Sine-10 (BD) Ltd.
Zonal/Divisional:
Chittagong Online Ltd.
Chittagong Telecom Services Ltd.
First n Fast IT Ltd.
HN TELECOM
SpeedLinks
International Terrestrial Cable (ITC) operator
1Asia Alliance Communication
BD Link Communication Ltd
Fiber @ Home
Mango Teleservices
NovoCom
Summit Communications
Radio
Radio broadcast stations: AM 12, FM 12, shortwave 2, community radio 1, internet radios
Radios: 6.15 million (1997)
The government-owned Betar-Radio Bangladesh operates from Dhaka and other local districts. Currently, private FM radio channels are very popular. They are trying to attract young people by broadcasting music and news. The operating private radio channels include:
dhakaFM 90.4 FM
Radio Amber 102.4 FM
Radio Today 89.6 FM
Radio Foorti 88.0 FM
Radio Amar 88.4 FM
ABC Radio 89.2 FM
Peoples Radio 91.6 FM
Television
As of 2012, there are 23 broadcast television stations in Bangladesh, including the state-run BTV and BTV World, with 20 million television sets in the country.
The number of private satellite channels are growing. The first private channel in Bangladesh was ATN Bangla. There are 8 full-fledged news channels (ATN News, Channel 24, DBC News, Ekattor, Independent Television, Jamuna Television, News24 and Somoy TV).
Internet
The first connectivity in Bangladesh with the internet was in 1996. In the past few years, growth has been rapid. The government's high internet tariff is impeding the growth of this sector, claims Norwegian-owned Telenor. Recently the government has decided to reduce the tariff by 50%.
The internet country code of Bangladesh is .bd.
As of 2005 more than 180 Internet Service Providers are operating in the country. ISP's are regulated by the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC).
The number of internet users in Bangladesh as of March 2009 is over 600,000, compared to 100,000 in 2000. However, only 0.3% of the population use the internet, thus making Bangladesh the lowest usage percentage per population of the internet in the world with the exception of North Korea, Myanmar and Sierra Leone.
In April 2010 Akhtaruzzaman Manju, president of the Internet Service Providers' Association of Bangladesh, told Xinhua that the country's six cell phone operators and Internet Service Providers have so far provided over 800,000 internet connections. "We've estimated that nearly 10 million people in the country are using 800,000 internet connections on a shared basis," he said, adding the number of internet users in the country is increasing yearly by around 15-16 percent.
A 2009 study by the Boston Consulting Group found that the number of Internet subscribers in Bangladesh is likely to reach 18.3 million by the year 2020, equivalent to a 32 percent household Internet penetration, which will result in a 2.6 percent contribution to the country's GDP while creating 129,000 more jobs, the research added.
Broadband Internet access
Though broadband internet access is available, the cost of high-speed connection is higher than in other south Asian countries. Broadband internet and e-commerce in Bangladesh is progressing slowly. WiMAX service is now available from some internet service providers. In Bangladesh broadband is legally defined as 128/128 kbit/s, which is not in line with ITU standards.
The ISPs currently providing broadband services in Bangladesh are:
Banglalion
Infocom Limited
InfoLink
International
There are 6 satellite Earth stations. Talimabad, Betbunia are two of them. Some info shows that the number is now 7. Bangladesh has sent its first ever satellite Bangabandhu-1 into space on May 11, 2018.
Submarine cables
Bangladesh is connected to SEA-ME-WE 4 or SMW-4 (South-East Asia – Middle East – Western Europe 4) and SEA-ME-WE 5 submarine cable systems. The landing site of the SMW-4 Bangladesh branch is located in Cox's Bazar and the landing site of the SMW-5 Bangladesh branch is located in Kuakata. The two submarine cables provide the country with redundancy to support uninterrupted internet and long-distance communications and also with a huge bandwidth. Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company Limited is the only submarine cable operator in Bangladesh.
See also
Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation
Doel (laptop)
Media of Bangladesh
References
External links
Media and Telecommunications Lansdcape Guide in Bangladesh, a 'infoasaid' guide, May 2012, 135 pp.