Bangladesh Illegal VoIP operators make fortune as govt stalls licensing

Posted on December 27, 2005 / 27 Comments

Bangladesh Illegal VoIP operators make fortune as govt stalls licensing
Sharier Khan
While powerful illegal internet telephony operators keep on draining out hundreds of crores taka each year, the government is delaying the process of awarding licence for VoIP operation on various pretexts ignoring a fresh recommendation of Bangladesh Telecom Regulatory Authority (BTRC).
The government now says the licence for Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) will be given after setting up a common platform in four areas of the country under Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board (BTTB) through which Internet phone calls will be channelised. The four areas are Dhaka, Chittagong, Sylhet and Bogra.
Such a common platform, to be connected to the submarine cable, will not start operation before June next, even if the authorities try their best. The submarine cable project is yet to be completed.
A seven-member BTRC committee a couple of weeks ago recommended that VoIP licence may be given to applicants, under certain terms and conditions as an interim measure, before this common platform comes into operation. The BTRC believes it will be at least a year before this platform is ready.
The BTRC suggested that interested applicants will be provided with a particular set of information about the permanent arrangement of routing VoIP or Internet traffic through four Transmission Platforms of the BTTB and the interim arrangement to be made until the common platform is in operation.
But the BTTB, which is a direct victim of the seven-eight-year old illegal Internet telephony, last week recommended to the telecoms ministry not to award VoIP licence without having a national level common platform or bypassing its (BTTB) national Internet gateway.
Without a common platform, the government cannot "watch over" the telecommunication network in the context of the world-wide rise of terrorism, the BTTB argued to the telecoms ministry.
The BTTB last month floated a Tk 25 crore tender for setting up the common platform. Three Chinese companies have submitted bids.
Sources however said the BTTB is already facing some hitch over the tender process as a technical sub-committee for the bid has recommended re-tendering of the scheme. "If the Technical Evaluation Committee (Tec) for this tender can hold a meeting, we can expect a decision over the existing tender within a month," said a BTTB official.
A top BTTB official strongly argued against legalising VoIP before setting up the common platform. "The government’s ICT Task Force in May had decided to operate VoIP through a common platform. The BTRC suggestion ignores that decision," he says.
He claimed that the BTRC suggestion also violates the telecom policy, 1998 and Bangladesh telecom-munications act, 2001 as those provide that through the BTTB, the state will enjoy monopoly of international circuits.
If the common platform is bypassed, it will open hundreds of international gateways for voice transmission, he argued. The neighbouring countries have not yet opened up their VoIP fully. It will be very difficult to monitor the VoIP operators.
The BTRC had announced in late 2003 that it would award licence for VoIP operation in January 2004. But it never happened although the government is aware that this business is draining out nearly Tk 1,000 crore a year of the BTTB’s business.
Meanwhile, the number of illegal VoIP operations across the country has reached several thousand, according to some market operators.
The evidence of their growth is marked in the latest report of an international telecom research organisation,Telegeography (http://www.telegeography.com). The report states that in 2004, Bangladesh was the third fastest growing destination for international VoIP traffic. Brazil and Nigeria led the world in growth last year, with 112 percent and 103 percent. Bangladesh marked a growth of 97 percent. Globally, VoIP traffic grew by 35 percent in 2004.

Source: http://www.thedailystar.net/2005/12/27/d5122701011.htm

27 Comments

VOIP Guru
September 24, 2006, 8:02 am
Hello,

I like your take on this and I’m going to link to this post in my VOIP blog. I hope that’s okay. I think my future readers will like your take as well.

Thanks for sharing :-)

– RM
http://www.voip-central-info.com
mark tan
August 16, 2008, 11:50 pm
can i buy bangladesh rote pls give rate

thanks
mark tan
singapore
moheenur
September 12, 2008, 12:45 am
how to i gate international VOIP licence

Please tall me
thanks
1. Deshivoip
  
  December 19, 2009, 10:45 pm
  
  please contact my mail id i will help u .Deshivoip@hotmail.com
maharaj
December 9, 2008, 6:04 pm
i am in KSA.i want to know how to i gate VOIP licence,how much money need to invest to strat the VOIP business.
please inform me
thanks.
habib
February 10, 2009, 6:17 pm
i libing italia now i do work line voip
zaman
February 20, 2009, 8:09 pm
Bangladesh route, white line according the licence of bd govt. Rate that can serve u .040 $
pls contact 07904544862
Parvez
July 1, 2009, 6:04 pm
I am interested about VoIP business from Bangladesh. I want to know details about VoIP system, setup, problem with all the necessary information. Please help me.
Thanks
1. William
  
  September 13, 2010, 4:58 pm
  
  Hi
  
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  November 28, 2010, 6:39 am
  
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Parvez
July 1, 2009, 6:05 pm
My cell# 01818591037
Afsar
July 5, 2009, 12:03 pm
VoIP is still a lucrative business and will continue to flourish and grow as long as we have xpatriate Bangladeshis who call home more frequently than others. You can make millions of dollars as long as you know how to share your profit with BTRC.
zia
July 8, 2009, 10:13 pm
01711668175
faisal
July 17, 2009, 2:55 pm
01711307810
Ahmed Bulum
July 17, 2009, 9:50 pm
I need some good dailer for Riyad in KSA. Specialy Skyland. How can I get me?
Ms Khaing
July 28, 2009, 6:21 pm
Anyone who would like to invest on VOIP business in Myanmar? If Bangladesh could make one a millionaire, Myanmar has the opportunity of billions. Please contact.
1. Suman
  
  July 30, 2009, 8:43 pm
  
  I am Interested bt want to know..detailes…..
2. hussain
  
  October 17, 2009, 4:33 am
  
  ms khaing
  please contact me at the address given: dhorpon@gmail.com
  
  I may be interested in investing with you.
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September 5, 2009, 12:30 am
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K.Hossain
November 23, 2009, 7:35 pm
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July 25, 2010, 2:50 pm
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1. William
  
  September 13, 2010, 5:01 pm
  
  Hi
  
  We have a better VOIP Plan
  Please email me at william5unitel@gmail.com for complete details
  
  Thank you..
Sandar
November 23, 2010, 2:36 am
I’m looking for any potential partner to start VOIP in Myanmar. Pls reply with contact details.
Thanks.
1. deshivoip
  
  November 28, 2010, 6:44 am
  
  We have low cost Myanmar route .if u want please send me u’r company name and mail me deshivoip@hotmail.com
voipforbangladesh.com
May 21, 2011, 4:34 pm
Now Bangladesh is waiting for VoIP license to be given away to the small operators. Number of gateways are now under operation, but those small VoIP entrepreneurs who where doing some illegal call termination or generation they can be a white VoIP service provider. They have the experiences, now govt. can utilize their expertise. We can also sell our services, there is a big VoIP outsourcing market around the world.

Please visit http://www.voipforbangladesh.com, we have a discussion on the legal VoIP opportunities for Bangladesh. We have a big potentials in this sector.

Thanks
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May 26, 2011, 11:59 am
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Executive Director
abu hasan
January 15, 2012, 5:19 pm
Hi,
i am interested to do voip. but i not khow whare the starting point for completely begginer.plz give me some idea about it.my cell number is 01840803717.I am also interested to work jointly with a experienced purson.