The telecom regulator, BTRC, deferred the auction process for the third generation (3G) licences by another week to Sept 8.
The deadline for applying to participate in the auction has also been pushed to Aug 8, giving it an extra 11 days.
BTRC had previously set the deadline to submit applications for the auction for Aug 1 and the bid was set to take place on Sep 2.
According to the new schedule, the most deserving operators will be announced on Aug 18 after the selection process. BTRC will hold a meeting with the operators on Aug 19 regarding the auction process.
The ‘bid earnest money’ must be deposited within Aug 26 and the final list of operators will be declared on Sept 1.
A senior BTRC official had told bdnews24.com that the regulator’s decision came after the mobile operators recommended deferring the bidding for 10 days in Tuesday’s meeting at the finance ministry.
Operators have also been demanding a reduction in VAT on 3G licences and resolution of disputes relating to VAT on 2G licences before the new auctions.
The auction for 3G licenses was at first set for June 28, and later postponed to July 31. This is the third time the auction has been delayed upon operators’ request.
On Feb 12, the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunication finalised the licensing policy for the 3G services by fixing the value of spectrum as $ 20 million 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, state-owned Teletalk is already providing 3G services on an experimental basis.
According to the final licensing policy, Teletalk will have to 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 it.
The licence will be awarded for 15 years to five operators, including Teletalk.
Source: Bd news24
