BTRC to issue more NTTN licences if needed

Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) will issue more Nationwide Telecommunication Transmission Network (NTTN) licences if services to customers are compromised as the regulator prioritises service quality, said BTRC Chairman Maj Gen (retd) Md Emdad Ul Bari yesterday.

"NTTN licences should be limited, but we need to assess whether we have become 'hostage' to them, holding back the entire nation. If necessary, we will issue 10 more licences," he said.

"We can even grant licences on a zonal basis. I am only considering this idea; it is not something I plan to implement immediately. Our main requirement is to deliver services to users," he said.

"Our priority is service, not just sustaining businesses," added Bari.

The BTRC chairman was addressing a discussion styled "The Importance of a Nationwide Telecommunication Network for the Future of Bangladesh", organised by the Telecom and Technology Reporters Network Bangladesh at a Dhaka hotel.

The NTTN guidelines were introduced in 2008.

According to it, the task of NTTN operators in Bangladesh is to build, maintain and manage a nationwide fibre-optic transmission network, providing shared infrastructure for telecom operators and internet service providers.

Bari elaborated on how NTTN licences were introduced and how they have struggled to provide adequate services.

He said Grameenphone solidified its position as a top operator by leveraging the Bangladesh Railway's fibre, which provided a significant advantage.

However, since this fibre was exclusively used by operators and they resisted active tower sharing, a stalemate arose, preventing the telecom sector from reaching its full potential, he said.

The concept of NTTN then emerged to separate the transmission business and bring stability to the telecom market, said the BTRC chairman.

The NTTN was expected to be the backbone of the network, and the government extended substantial support, including granting them the exclusive right to lay the fibre, he said.

They were given a rollout obligation to reach the upazila level within 10 years, and they have met this goal, he said.

However, they primarily built overhead cables in Dhaka, and the high prices they offered discouraged broadband operators from availing their services, said Bari.

Even outside Dhaka, they have not made substantial investments—some areas have their own fibre network while others rely on leasing from Power Grid Bangladesh, said the BTRC chairman.

He questioned whether the NTTN licensees could be considered middlemen, as they provide services without significantly boosting capacity.

"Still, they have invested, otherwise we wouldn't have been able to reach union levels. But 30-32 percent of these investments come from the government through projects like Info-Sarker 2 and 3," he added.

"The government genuinely aimed to expand the network. But have they actually reached that level? There are deficiencies, and we must address them," said Bari.

"The NTTNs (licensees) established their fibre network partially with their own fibre and partly through leasing, resulting in ineffective fibre coverage," he added.

Bari also criticised the use of overhead fibres by the NTTN licensees.

"As far as I know, Summit Communications has only 15 percent underground fibre while Fiber@Home has only 17 percent underground cable," he said.