The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) approved tariff rates for services of the private nationwide telecommunication transmission network (NTTN) operators for the first time.
The rates have different slabs, price floors and ceilings for different types of customers and areas, according to the Posts and Telecommunications Division.
The BTRC in June set a uniform price list for internet service providers (ISPs), who are recipients of NTTN services. It was Tk 500 for 5.0 megabits per second (Mbps) of broadband internet a month, to be followed by all ISPs across the country.
According to the tariff plan, Tk 500 was the maximum charge at union level.
On the other hand, price of 10 Mbps internet has been fixed at Tk 800-1,000 a month, while 20 Mbps at Tk 1,100-1,200 per month.
According to the new NTTN tariff rates, up to 10 Mbps of regular capacity bandwidth is going to cost Tk 200-300 in metro areas, Tk 400-500 in other than metro areas, and Tk 200-300 for districts and adjacent upazilas and unions.
The tariff is getting cheaper, if the volume of bandwidth range is higher, as per the tariff plans.
The price for 2,500 to 9,999 Mbps bandwidth of higher capacity is Tk 35 to Tk 50 per month for metro areas including Dhaka, while Tk 60 to Tk 70 for other than metro areas, and Tk 45 to Tk 55 for districts and adjacent upazilas and unions. The prices for 100 Gigabytes was fixed at Tk 13 to Tk 14 for metro areas, whereas Tk 25 to Tk 28 for other than metro areas, and Tk 13 to Tk 15 for districts and adjacent upazilas and unions.
The prices for International Internet Gateway (IIG) operator services also have various slabs and layers from 50 to 100 Mbps Tk 365 to above 10,000 Mbps Tk 330 in Dhaka.
Both the NTTNs and ISPs welcomed the tariffs, going to be launched at a virtual event today (Thursday).
Emdadul Haque, secretary general of Internet Service Providers Association of Bangladesh (ISPAB), said the industry has waited for more than 12 years for a tariff chart, set by the regulator.
"We welcome it. If there is any disagreement, the BTRC pledged us to correct it in future," he added.
"I like to congratulate and thank the ministry concerned, the BTRC and other authorities, who were engaged in fixing up the NTTN tariff," Head of PR and government affairs of Fiber@Home Abbas Faruque told the FE.
"We have faced so many difficulties with our clients for tariff. I strongly believe that people will get benefit from it, if the BTRC continues regular enforcement and proper execution of the NTTN guideline," he added.
The BTRC had failed to reach a consensus with the NTTN operators in last 12 years to formulate an integrated tariff plan for the operators. The commission at a stage decided to appoint an international consultant to get an integrated tariff for the NTTN operators.
Deputy Director of BTRC Systems and Services Division Md. Nahidul Hasan, who was closely involved with the tariff fixing process, said the regulator has done it without any foreign consultant.
The stakeholders were helpful in fixing the tariffs, he added.
