Additional spectrum not enough to improve mobile services

Services to mobile phone users will not improve as expected from the additional spectrum the three mobile operators have bought because the user density per 1MHz will still be four times that in the neighbouring countries.

Problems such as call drops, slow Internet and other forms of disruptions will persist in the coming days. To provide better digital services, mobile operators will have to procure more spectrum from other bands, stakeholders said.

Three private mobile operators of the country bought 27.4MHz additional spectrum for 15 years at the latest auction held on Monday.

The new spectrum allocation means Tk7,634 crore in revenue to be paid to the government over the next five years.

Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) data says that with the latest allocation the total frequency used by all mobile operators will reach 156.6MHz for serving 17.18 crore subscribers.

The average user occupancy against per MHz spectrum will stand at 11 lakh from the existing 13 lakh, while the figure is only 2-3 lakh in Nepal and Myanmar.

Posts and Telecommunication Minister Mustafa Jabbar told the media on Monday that the allotted spectrum was not enough for the two large operators – Grameenphone and Robi.

"But we do not have any more spectrum from 1800 and 2100MHz bands," he said.

If they want more spectrum, the BTRC will be able to provide it from other bands, the minister added.

Currently, Grameenphone is the market leader, with 8 crore subscribers, followed by Robi Axiata Limited having 5.15 crore subscribers.

Grameenphone uses per megahertz of spectrum to provide telecom services to more than 20 lakh subscribers. After procuring an additional 10.4MHz, every 17lakh subscribers will share per-megahertz of spectrum. 

Officials of Grameenphone, however, said that besides spectrum, the company needed installation of infrastructure like base transceiver stations (BTS). The system technology in place also plays an important role in providing quality services, they said.

The operator has more than 16,000 BTS across the country.

In a statement, Grameenphone's acting Chief Executive Officer Jens Becker, said, "With this additional spectrum, GP is well-positioned to further contribute to the digitalisation of Bangladesh and to meet people's growing need for high-speed Internet in rural as well as urban areas.

"We have a shared responsibility with BTRC to ensure better customer experiences for our customers and we are firmly committed to delivering on this shared goal."

After the latest procurement, the country's second largest mobile operator Robi's total spectrum reaches 44MHz to dedicate each megahertz for 11 lakh subscribers.

Currently, every 14 lakh Robi subscribers share per megahertz spectrum.

Talking about quality services, Robi's Managing Director Mahtab Uddin Ahmed told the media on Monday that the assigned spectrum was not sufficient to provide better services.

"However, compared to the market leader, Robi will have a better per capita spectrum," he said.

Among three private operators, Banglalink is in a better position than others. Every 11 lakh users share its per megahertz spectrum, which will be 9lakh once the newly procured spectrum comes into effect.

As of February, Grameenphone has 8.04 crore subscribers, Robi Axiata 5.15 crore, Banglalink 3.59 crore, and Teletalk 55.32 lakh, according to the BTRC.