The telecom regulator is preparing the 700 megahertz spectrum band to release it next year to the mobile operators, which will enable them to deploy higher-performance broadband services over greater distances than the services they offer today.
As some of the bandwidth in the band is occupied by an internet service provider (ISP), the regulator is going to rearrange it so that it can be allocated smoothly to the mobile operators.
As a result, the operators will be able to roll out service networks with less equipment or investment for more people, according to analysts.
In line with suggestions from International Telecommunication Union, a UN body, Bangladesh will allocate the 700 MHz band for fourth generation mobile technology, known as long term evolution (LTE), which provides faster data transfer than the current 3G technology.
A segment of the frequency was allocated to AlwaysOn Network Bangladesh, an ISP, at a location that it is impeding functionality of the rest of the band.
Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission had allocated 6 MHz spectrum (6 uplink and 6 downlink) free of cost to AlwaysOn in July 2006 for five years.
The regulator has decided to allocate the 700 MHz band to the mobile operators, it will ask AlwaysOn Network to surrender its current spectrum, Md Sarwar Alam, company secretary of BTRC, said.
The 700 MHz band is consistent for use with mobile operation, not for the ISPs, he added.
“We are trying to allocate a different band to the AlwaysOn network so as not to hamper its business and equipment. We are still searching for a suitable bandwidth,” another BTRC official said.
The regulator does not want to scrap the ISP's current equipment, said the official.
Reaz Shaheed, managing director of AlwaysOn, declined to comment on the matter.
BTRC found that AlwaysOn is providing services to a mere 13,000 customers through 46 base stations; it would be far more efficient if the spectrum was given to the mobile operators.
Once the ISP's allocation is cancelled from the 700 MHz band, the regulator will be able to arrange a 45 MHz bandwidth in the band, which is good enough for the mobile operators, said another BTRC official.
But if the ISP's spectrum cannot be replaced from the valuable band, the regulator will have only 25 MHz bandwidth for the mobile operators.
Last year, the regulator allocated 2,100 MHz band for 3G networks to mobile operators through an open auction.
TIM Nurul Kabir, secretary general of Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh, said the regulator should consult with the industry before releasing any new spectrum, which will be beneficial for both parties. The government should also maintain international standards in spectrum allocation, he added.
Source: http://www.thedailystar.net/business/btrc-mulls-new-spectrum-for-faster-mobile-internet-46774
