Industry stakeholders on Sunday said that lack of regulatory fairness in Bangladesh鈥檚 internet sector was driving up costs for consumers and widening disparities in service access across the country.
They highlighted that reforms were needed in policies governing bandwidth purchase, sale and revenue-sharing between public and private institutions to enable affordable and quality internet for all users.
They made these remarks during a press conference organised by the Bangladesh Mobile Phone Consumer Association at the National Press Club in the capital Dhaka on the day.
The stakeholders expressed frustration over the lack of affordable, quality internet, especially in rural areas, where high mobile internet costs hinder digital literacy and accessibility.
They said that instead of focusing on revenue collection, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission should operate as an independent commission and warned that failure to address favouritism in policymaking could lead to further instability in the sector.
鈥楳obile internet costs are disproportionately high given our population density and income levels, mainly because the government imposes telecom fees through special orders whenever funds are needed,鈥� said former Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services president Fahim Mashroor.
鈥楾here鈥檚 no justification for social obligation fund and revenue sharing 鈥� they should be abolished immediately. Additionally, companies like Google and Facebook should have local protection in establishing CDN and we need a unified rate across all broadband and mobile operators,鈥� he added.
Social obligation fund or SOF is a contributory funding system. Telecommunication entities such as mobile operators and internet service providers contribute to this fund. This fund is then used for different projects related to telecommunication in Bangladesh.
Mohiuddin Ahmed, president of the BMPCA, urged the BTRC to prioritise consumer interests and implement immediate reforms to bridge the digital divide.
He proposed reallocating funds from the social obligation fund to boost broadband expansion in underserved areas rather than merely investing in infrastructure that fails to improve widespread access in inaccessible areas.
SM Rezaur Rahman, a director of system and services division at the BTRC, said that the commission was working toward policy changes to curb discrimination.
He said that the BTRC must strike a balance among government interests, operators and customer demands.
Some stakeholders opined that BTRC policies were indirectly benefiting monopolistic practices and profit motives over service equity, ultimately leaving consumers at a disadvantage.
Aminul Hakim, president of the Internet Infrastructure Governance Board, and technology expert Sumon Ahmed Sabir highlighted the public-private divide in service costs and inefficiencies that inflate consumer prices.
They stressed the need for fair competition and a 鈥榦ne country, one rate鈥� policy, which could eliminate discriminatory pricing and level the playing field for both public and private internet providers.