Mobile phone operators have not planned yet to reduce internet prices at the end-user level despite the government has cut the wholesale bandwidth price.
Operators said they had already reduced data prices several times considering the increasing trend of data use.
According to them, any cut in the tariff would ultimately result in the necessity of more investment on network capacity and coverage.
Most operators think the prices offered to customers are one of the lowest in both Bangladesh and global markets.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina recently called for lowering the tariff of the service.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, at the inauguration of a week-long Upazila Digital Fair and Internet Week 2015 on Saturday, called upon the mobile operators to bring down internet service charge at the consumer level as the government has reduced the bandwidth price.
She said if the mobile operators reduced the internet services charge, it would increase the number of users and as a result the income of the companies.
In response to Prime Minister’s call, operators said they were taking steps for the promotion of the use of internet among the people of the country.
They said the decision to reduce internet bandwidth price would surely benefit the industry, especially the ISP and the broadband operators.
Operators said the spectrum pricing set by the government played a major role in determining the data pricing at the consumer-end as it was the biggest factor in calculation of the service cost.
Ekram Kabir, vice president of Robi, said: “It’s worth noting that Robi is already offering basic internet for free for everyone in the country through Internet.org.”
“Everyday this site is being accessed two million times. This initiative is already proving to be crucial in the national quest for reducing the digital divide.
“On the other hand, we have already drastically reduced our data pack pricing. Currently on an average per MB of internet is priced at only 20-25 paisa.”
Ekram Kabir said according to the latest BTRC data, out of total 50m internet users, 49m browse internet in their mobile handsets.
“Hence, we would like to urge the government to revisit the spectrum pricing mechanism along with the taxation regime with a view to enabling us to reduce our internet pricing even further.”
Sayed Talat Kamal, head of external communications of Grameenphone, said: “We welcome the government’s decision to reduce the bandwidth price. However, bandwidth only accounts for a few per cent of costs.”
He said internet tariffs already came down by 56% in the last year alone and to cater to the increasing demand of data, operators would have to invest heavily in network capacity and coverage.
Ankit Sureka, spokesperson of Banglalink, said the company currently offered the internet price which carried the best value in the market.
“Everybody knows that Banglalink is the operator that has mobile telephony affordable in the market and currently we offer the best value to internet subscribers.”
“Banglalink’s internet prices offered to customers are one of the least costly not only in Bangladesh market but in the world also. Based on the market dynamics we will always provide our customers best possible pricing,” Sureka claimed.
Shamit Shahbuddin, head of PR and internal communications of Airtel Bangladesh Ltd, said they offered the country’s best data prices and reviewed prices on periodical basis. l
