The country's mobile phone operators have raised objections to the swift implementation of the new data guidelines set by the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC).
During a meeting at the BTRC office yesterday, the chief executive officers of mobile phone operators discussed various operational challenges with BTRC Chairman (Senior Secretary) Shyam Sunder Sikder, including their objections to the data policy.
After the meeting, Shahed Alam, head of regulatory affairs at Robi Axiata, told Dhaka Tribune: "Operators have expressed concerns that implementing data pricing by September 15 and reducing the number of packages to just forty may lead to adverse reactions among customers, affecting their ability to avail benefits."
In response to the operators' objections, the BTRC chairman said he would look into the matter. However, he did not inform the operators of any new decisions or provide a timeframe for any action, according to sources present at the meeting.
Previously, Post and Telecommunication Minister Mustafa Jabbar urged the operators to comply with the government's decision.
Operators offering enticing data offers for just three days, which users cannot fully utilize, could be considered a form of fraudulent marketing, he added.
When asked if customer’s choices would be limited and the government would lose revenue by eliminating the three-day packages, the minister explained that the government had made this decision after consulting all stakeholders and obtaining input from the Prime Minister's IT advisor. The operators were informed of the decision after these consultations.
The ministry did not make this decision hastily, and if the operators fail to implement it, BTRC will take necessary action to address the issues, he further said.
What are the key changes in the new guidelines?
BTRC announced the new data guidelines on September 17, which will become effective on October 15.
The main change in the new guidelines is that the maximum duration of special day packages has been extended to 7 days, up from the previous 3 days.
Regardless of the packages offered by the operators, their validity will now be either 7 days, 30 days, or unlimited. Previously, it ranged from 3 days, 7 days, 15 days, to 30 days, with certain data volume-related guidelines.
Each operator, including Grameenphone, Skitto, Robi, Airtel, and Banglalink, will now be limited to offering 40 packages, down from the previous 85.
Other instructions
According to the new guidelines, if the same package is purchased before its expiration, the data will be added to the next volume. In the case of using a 7-day or 30-day validity package with the same volume and content, any unused data will be added if the customer repurchases the package before its expiration.
A maximum of 50 GB of data can be used in the unlimited data packages.
The number of promotional SMS messages has also been reduced. Operators were previously allowed to send a maximum of 4 SMS per day, but they can now only send 3.
Customers can create a regular package called a “Flexible Plan” by customizing talk time, data volume, social pack, and SMS, according to their preferences.
If the displayed price is acceptable to the customer, they can activate the package themselves using their mobile app, and it will be treated as a regular package, as per the guidelines.
Operators are permitted to offer three different volume unlimited packages, initially offering 25 GB, 50 GB, and 75 GB. Any of these three volumes will be considered an unlimited package.
The volume can be changed later with the approval of BTRC. The mobile operator must notify the customer before their data usage reaches its limit.
If a customer is offered a new package before their current package expires, the new offer must match the existing package, or one of the other two packages should align with the customer's usage pattern, according to the guidelines.
Customers will receive a data expiration notification via SMS one day before their package expires.
Even in the case of unused data being added, the SMS will contain instructions to repurchase the expired current pack.