The New Nation - Internet Edition

BUSINESS REPORT

After awarding the International Gateway (IGW), Interconnection Exchange (ICX) and International Internet Gateway (IIG) licences through auctions successfully, the Bangladesh Telecom Regulatory Commission (BTRC) is going to hold the auction for awarding the WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) licences in the next month.

The last date for submitting applications for WiMAX licences is September 11.

WiMAX is a wireless digital communications system, which is intended for wireless "metropolitan area networks".

WiMAX can provide broadband wireless access up to 30 miles (50 km) for fixed stations, and 3 to 10 miles (5-15 km) for mobile stations.

Sources at the BTRC told The New Nation that the bidding for WiMAX licences at the auction would start from Tk 25 crore.

BTRC would fix the price for the WiMAX service like the mobile phone call tariffs. Mobile phone operators will not be eligible to apply for the WiMAX licences.

They said that draft policy prepared for issuing WiMAX licence has already been given on the BTRC website. Interested persons gave their opinions, complaints and recommendations on the draft policy till July 9. A pre-auction discussion on these issues was held on Wednesday. Forty-six firms took part in the discussion.

Earlier, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) chairman Maj Gen (Retd) Manzurul Alam said three WiMAX licences would be given to the private operators while one will be given to the state-run Bangladesh Telecommunications Limited Company (BTLC).

But the BTLC has to comply with the rules and regulations including the price for the licence like the private ones, he said.

It is learnt that application fee for the WiMAX licences has been fixed at Tk 50,000, while the annual licence fee has been fixed at Tk 3 crore.

Those who will be awarded the licences will receive bandwidth from 2.3-2.5 gigahartz to 30 megahartz.

According to the draft policy, an investor will be able to take maximum 60 percent foreign investment in the WiMAX services.

Under the oral out plan, the operators have been asked to install five base stations in every divisional city and three base stations in each district in the first year. After starting the work, the licence recipient companies will have to bring 50 per cent of the upazila and 20 per cent of the villages under the network.

Besides, all public and private universities, medical colleges, engineering universities, research organizations, ministries, divisions, departments, boards, corporations and autonomous bodies under the WiMAX services.

In the third year, all primary schools, cultural organizations and union parishad offices will have to bring under the service. Moreover, each of the subscribers will have to be provided with minimum 128 kbpc internet speed.