The proposed regulatory and licensing guidelines for broadband service providers could increase internet costs for users by at least 20 per cent due to new fees and charges, the Internet Service Providers Association of Bangladesh said.
In a press conference organised by the ISPAB on Monday in the capital, they also expressed their聽views on the draft guideline for issuing licences for Fixed Telecom Service Providers, a guideline for the internet service providers recently prepared by the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission.
After the press conference at Mohakhali in the capital, the members of the ISPAB staged demonstration in front of the BTRC building at Agargaon.
In his speech, Aminul Hakim, president of the ISPAB, said that under the guideline, FTSPs would have to share 5.5 per cent of their revenue with the government and contribute another 1 per cent to the Social Obligation Fund.
鈥楾he cost of purchasing bandwidth for FTSP operators is also expected to rise by around 14 per cent,鈥� he added, opposing the proposed guideline.
The government is moving in the wrong direction, he added, saying that the BTRC currently receives 21.45 per cent of the sector鈥簊 revenue, including from submarine cables, international internet gateways, and international terrestrial cable operators, under revenue-sharing arrangements and social obligation contributions.
鈥楿nder the new policy, the regulator鈥檚 total share in revenue from the sector would rise to 40.25 per cent and the proposed policy would widen the digital divide between urban and rural areas,鈥� he added.
He also said that the government has set a licence fee of only $10,000 (around Tk 12 lakh) for Starlink, while local ISPs are required to pay Tk 25 lakh.
The ISPAB said the draft guideline explicitly allows mobile operators to provide fixed connectivity through fixed wireless access and last-mile fibre connections.
鈥楤ehind the process of the proposed draft policy, mobile operators have been clearly allowed to provide fixed connectivity through Fixed Wireless Access and last-mile fiber connections, which would create an extremely uneven competition for local ISPs that have been built with domestic investment,鈥� he added.
This would create unfair competition for local ISPs who have built their networks with their own investment,鈥� said the association.
He also said that unjustified fee hikes and the move to allow mobile operators into the fixed connectivity market would push local investments into serious uncertainty, ultimately affecting ordinary consumers.
In this regard, the ISPAB urged the government to remove the FWA provision from the Cellular Mobile Service Provider guideline and to revoke the permission to deploy fiber connectivity within homes, offices, or indoor premises.
They also urged to prohibit the commercial use of ISM/WiFi bands for service delivery by CMSPs.
As per the existing policy, the guidelines on active infrastructure sharing for FTSP must be clearly defined.
They also demanded a review of the revenue sharing, high licence fees, and SOF provision.
鈥楾here were no clear directives regarding SMS services and mobile dialers for IPTSPs, which require clarification, said the trade body.
They also demanded to abolish service discrimination between national FTSPs and district-level FTSPs.
As of the writing of this report, the ISPAB leaders and BTRC officials were meeting regarding the stance of internet service providers on the guidelines at the BTRC office in Agargaon.
At the press conference, ISPAB general secretary Nazmul Karim Bhuiyan delivered the keynote, with leaders from the organisation also speaking.