Mobile phone operators have sought power to block international calls plus bank guaranty for securing their revenue share from international incoming call termination earnings.
In a letter addressed to the regulator recently, mobile operators have opted to have authority to block 95% incoming call in case the International Gateway (IGW) operators do not pay their dues.
The letter signed by TIM Nurul Kabir, secretary general of the Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh, (Amtob) contained three issues including recovery dues, percentage sharing and bank guaranty.
The letter said mobile operators have failed to recover dues amounting to Tk140 crore from some International Gateway (IGW) operators.
The IGW guidelines say the International Gateway Operators are required to pay 20% of their revenues to the mobile operators.
Previously, the IGWs earned 3 US cents per minute for incoming international calls, and out of it they had to pay 51.75% to the government.
The government has recently changed the termination rate and revenue share structure. The termination rate has been slashed to only 1.5 US cents.
Mobile operators’ share now stands at 22% of the 1.5 US cents and the government portion is reduced to 40%.
Operators’ sources said according to the current structure, they have no power to create any bar to the process and that is why they want the call blocking authority to secure their share from IGWs.
“If dues are not cleared within three weeks of end of reconciliation period of invoice issued by mobile operators (2 weeks for invoicing & 1 week for reconciliation), from 00.00 hour of next calendar day of that month, operators will block 95% of incoming traffic of that particular IGW,” the letter reads.
Currently, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission has the provision of 100% call blocking for that particular IGW that fails to pay the government share only.
BTRC also recently started to have bank guarantee from the IGWs for securing the government money as six IGWs have yet to pay more than Tk613 crore to the regulator.
The mobile industry also proposes that BTRC realises an unconditional bank guarantee on behalf of operators from IGW operators.
“If any IGW operators violate the payment agreement with mobile operators, BTRC may distribute the bank guarantee to the concerned recipient mobile operators or the mobile operators may adjust the amount while paying quarterly revenue sharing with BTRC,” the letter also reads.
Earlier, market leader operator Grameenphone filed cases against eight IGWs to collect the outstanding amount of around Tk84 crore.
Apart from that, BTRC also sued four IGW companies under Public Demands Recovery Act (PDRA) for not paying their revenue share.
“We would like to request BTRC to review the ongoing international incoming payment settlement modality and the probable risk of mobile operators for terminating international incoming calls from IGWs through legitimate channel,” added Nurul Kabir.
