Play store
The government has no plan to sell state-owned mobile operator Teletalk, saying it must remain under government ownership to ensure healthy competition in the country’s telecom sector.
Replying to supplementary questions during the question-answer session in the Jatiya Sangsad on Sunday, Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Faqir Mahbub Anam said initiatives are underway to expand Teletalk’s network and improve service quality through government and foreign financing.
The minister said Teletalk needs more mobile towers to strengthen network coverage and services, requiring significant investment.
“We must keep Teletalk in the market. It has to remain under government ownership,” he said, warning that private operators could raise service charges at will if the state-run operator was not in the market.
The House, chaired by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, Bir Bikram, was informed that four mobile operators—Teletalk, Grameenphone, Robi and Banglalink—are currently operating in the country.
Responding to another question, the minister said the government is examining the issue of unused mobile data expiring after seven- or 15-day internet packages. He said the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has held several meetings with mobile operators, although the companies have defended the current system as part of their business policy.
He also said the government is continuing discussions with operators to reduce call drops and protect consumers’ interests.
The minister informed the House that work is underway to provide 109,004 broadband internet connections nationwide under the Digital Connectivity Establishment Project. So far, broadband services have been provided to 57,000 institutions, including schools, colleges, madrasas, technical institutes, community clinics, land offices and district courts.
He added that the government plans to introduce expatriate help desks at Digital Centres to improve services for overseas Bangladeshis and facilitate remittance transactions.
Responding to concerns over poor mobile coverage in border areas, the minister said the government would coordinate with Teletalk and other operators to improve network services, including installing additional towers where necessary, after receiving detailed information about the affected locations.
