The Telecommunication Minister has hinted that the auction for 3G licences might again be delayed.
The deadline to submit application for the auction was set for Aug 1 but mobile-phone operators have yet to give any specific response.
They have been demanding a reduction in VAT on 3G licences and resolution of disputes pending in court relating to VAT on 2G licence before the new auctions are held.
Posts and Telecommunication Minister Shahara Khatun in a press conference to ‘release new postal stamps’ on Tuesday said, “We are discussing these matters with the operators. We are thinking about deferring the auction.”
Telecom Secretary Abu Bakar Siddique told reporters, “Telecom operators yesterday appealed to the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission to defer the auction for a month. A decision will be made soon”
Discussions were also being held with the NBR on the operators’ demand.
After several deferments, the BTRC fixed Sept 2 for the 3G auction and August 1 as the last date for submission of application by the operators.
The telecommunication ministry on Feb12 had finalised the licensing policy for the 3G services by fixing the value of spectrum as Tk 2 billion per MHz.
It was decided that the licence will be given to the three out of the five private operators and to one new operator.
Of the six mobile-phone operators, the public sector company Teletalk is already providing 3G services on an experimental basis.
According to the draft licensing policy, Teletalk can procure the licence for 3G spectrum without taking part in the auction, by paying the same amount of money the private operators would spend to get the licence through auction.
The licence will be awarded for 15 years to five operators, including Teletalk.
Source: Bd news24
