The telecom regulator has found Banglalink’s third-generation data service fastest in the country though the mobile company is at the bottom of the pyramid in terms of the fastest data users’ numbers. According to the regulator, Grameenphone is the most popular mobile operator holding the apex of 3G users’ numbers, but hardly offers better data transfer services. The GP has more than 19 lakh active 3G subscribers though the company offers less than 1 Mbps (megabyte per second) speed for data transfer on its network. Grameenphone fixed its 3G data speed at 512 Kbps and 1 Mbps, while Banglalink, Robi and Airtel offer an uncodified speed limit. The telecom watchdog found Banglalink’s 3G data speed more than 2 Mbps in most areas while Robi’s speed ranges around 1.9 Mbps and Airtel around 1.2 Mbps on an average. Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has collected these data through physical monitoring of the 3G mobile data services offered by the four private mobile operators across the country. We have observed that Grameenphone hardly offers better speedy data services to its clients though its has subscribers higher than those of the other three, a member of BTRC inspection team told the Dhaka Tribune last week. The market leader, Grameenphone, acquired 10 Megahertz spectrum in the spectrum auction while the other three got 5 Megahertz each. BTRC officials travelled all divisional and some district headquarters to oversee the 3G network performance by Grameenphone, Robi, Airtel and Banglalink; while they also measured the speed and service quality of the operators through their networks. The inspection team had its field-level observation between July 13 and July 17 as a nine-month grace period for introducing the 3G mobile data services ended in the first week of July. As per the 3G licence guidelines, the operators have an obligation to roll out their services in all the divisional headquarters within nine months from the licence-awarding date. The BTRC team, however, found all private mobile operators fulfilled their obligation primarily and covered some district headquarters and growth centres also. According to the study report, only Grameenphone covers all the 64 district headquarters through its 2,200 sites, which were upgraded to 3G status. The report also reads: Banglalink has covered only 23 districts including seven divisional headquarters up to July 23, but the mobile company claims that it has covered 64 districts. Banglalink, the second largest operator in terms of 2G subscribers, has only 4.5 lakh 3G subscribes, said the report. Earlier, another BTRC report claimed that the number of Banglalink’s 3G subscribers stand at 6.69 lakh till the end of July. The inspection team observed Robi’s network in the first week of August and found that some 13.05 lakh 3G subscribers enjoy the company’s service. Robi covers only 23 districts with 7 divisional cities with around 1,300 sites. Airtel has 5.39 lakh 3G subscribers covering 20 district towns up to Eid-ul Fitr, the report said, adding that the cellular company developed its 1,100 sites with modern and fastest network equipment. Seeking anonymity, a senior official, who was also in the BTRC inspection team, said: “Each operator has Tk150 crore Performance Bank Guaranty (PBG) to the regulator and only Grameenphone is eligible to withdraw all its PBG as it has already fulfilled its network obligation.” He added that the remaining three operators are only eligible to withdraw Tk50 crore as they have met only first-phase of rollout obligation. The operators also have obligation to cover at least 30% district areas within 18 months after the licence was awarded and they have to cover 64 districts by 36 months, according to the 3G guidelines. The 3G spectrum auction was held on September 8, 2013 and the operators obtained their licences within a week. The state-owned operator Teletalk was not included in the BTRC inspection list. As of July, Teletalk’s total 3G subscribers stand at 10.44 lakh. The state-owned operator went into commercial operation in October 2012 and it is yet to obtain 3G licences. Source:Dhaka Tribute
Posted on: Tue, 02 Sep 2014 04:10:40 +0000
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