Robi  Axiata Ltd and Banglalink Digital Communications Ltd were fined Tk  10 lakh each for providing telecom value-added service (TVAS) to  customers through unauthorised firms and attempting to dodge revenue.

They  also allowed a TVAS provider to set up its equipment in their data  centre without signing any infrastructure sharing agreement, according  to a probe of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission  (BTRC). 

The mobile phone operators were also found to have funds  deposited in the bank account of a TVAS provider against the service  availed from another.

This unearthed the attempts to dodge revenue and abet in committing financial irregularities, the probe report said.

A  three-member team from the Department of Enforcement and Inspection  Directorate of the BTRC conducted the probe from October 4, 2020 to  November 15, 2020.

In Bangladesh, telecom operators share 5.5 per cent of the revenue with the government.

TVAS  providers offer various services such as welcome tunes, voice messages,  news alerts, missed call alerts, call block, call forwarding or  diverting, music, videos, games, streaming services, and balance  transfer, through mobile carriers under a revenue-sharing model, and  customers are charged by mobile phone operators.

According to the  probe, Robi was supposed to offer value-added services to its customers  through the intra-operator short-code. But it provided illegal off-net  TVAS via the interconnection exchange (ICX) operators.

It  permitted BNG Advanced Software Solutions Ltd, an unauthorised TVAS  provider, to set up equipment in its data centre, although no  infrastructure sharing deal was inked.

Similarly, payments were  made in the bank account of BLACKnGREEN, another unauthorised TVAS  provider, for the services extended by BNG.

When inquired about  the deal with BNG, Robi told the BTRC probe team that it had inked the  agreement with the firm as a back-end content and service provider.

But  after examining the agreement, the regulator found that the operator  also availed services from the unauthorised firm, the probe report  said.

Banglalink received TVAS service for about one year from  BNG before the TVAS provider secured registration from the commission.  It also took the service of BLACKnGreen for almost a year.

In its  reply to the probe team, Banglalink said it had been taking service  from BLACKnGREEN as the continuation of the previous agreement as taking  registration was a lengthy process. 

However, the operator continued to avail the service of BLACKnGREEN even after BNG received the license.

The  probe found Banglalink provided the illegal off-net TVAS service via  ICX operators through an intra-operator short-code, although it was  supposed to extend the service to its own customers alone known as  on-net service.

It also allowed BNG to set up equipment at its data centre in the absence of an infrastructure sharing agreement.

The  BTRC ordered Robi and Banglalink to cancel all the agreements with  BLACKnGREEN and all business transactions with the unauthorised service  provider.

It also ordered them to remove the machinery of BNG from the data centre.

Mustafa Jabbar, minister for Posts and Telecommunications, said none would be spared for committing such a financial crime.

Subrata  Roy Maitra, vice-chairman of the BTRC, said the commission was working  on the various types of value-added services provided by operators. The  commission has already taken actions against illegal TVAS providers, he  said.

Ankit Sureka, head of corporate communications and  sustainability of Banglalink, said that as a compliant company, Banglalink  always respects the laws of the land and maintains an organisational  culture that strongly upholds ethics and compliance.

"We are  working with the BTRC to resolve this matter and will take a final  decision based on the guidance of the BTRC and in accordance with the  laws," he added.

A  spokesperson of Robi declined to comment.