The telecom regulator has lifted the restrictions on Grameenphone as part of the penalties it slapped on the operator for becoming a significant market power or SMP.
The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission or BTRC, however, has given the operator 15 days to defend itself on what it should do and what it should avoid as an SMP, according to a letter sent to the Grameenphone on Tuesday.
The BTRC declared Grameenphone an SMP on Feb 10 and slapped some restrictions on the telco, including its advertisement campaigns. It was notified about the restrictions on Feb 18.
Md Hasan, Grameenphone’s deputy general manager for external communications, has welcomed the regulator’s decision.
He told bdnews24.com, “Grameenphone believes in fair competition in the market. We will continue to work with the regulator to deliver the best telecom services to the customers and help fulfil the government’s vision of building a Digital Bangladesh.”
Grameenphone is the largest mobile telecom operator in Bangladesh by subscription boasting around 72.3 million customers, which accounts for nearly half of the mobile phone users, according to the BTRC.
Mobile phone users of the four companies total 156.9 million now. Grameenphone commands 45.8 percent of the total subscriber base.
Robi accounts for 30 percent of the total users, Banglalink makes up 22 percent and government-run Teletalk has 2.5 percent subscribers.
Grameenphone is also ahead in terms of annual revenues. It earned 53 percent of the total market revenues in 2017, Robi 28 percent and Banglalink 18 percent.
Restrictions can be clamped on an operator once it accounts for 40 percent of the subscribers, annual revenues or allocated spectrum, according to the SMP regulations.
The Grameenphone had questioned the restrictions and said the purpose of the directives must be to build competition, not defeat success.
