Telecom, internet service standards to be revised for industry competitiveness

The interim government is set to revise quality-of-service (QoS) benchmarks and key performance indicators for the telecommunications and internet industry to enhance competitiveness in the evolving telecom landscape and address service quality issues, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb announced today.

Emphasising on the need for reforms in the sector, he warned that if mobile operators and internet service providers fail to overcome the QoS issues, consumers may shift to satellite-based internet services like Starlink.

Faiz Ahmad made the remarks while speaking as the chief guest at a roundtable titled "Ensuring High-Speed, Quality, and Affordable Internet at the Grassroots Level," organised by the Mobile Phone Consumers' Association at the National Press Club.

"The service providers are satisfying the regulatory requirements as QoS benchmarks are outdated," Faiz said, adding that internet quality in Bangladesh is worse than many war-torn countries like Afghanistan and Syria.

At the event, freelancers, commercial users, and other stakeholders voiced frustration over inconsistent service quality, frequent disruptions, and inadequate internet speeds. 

Faiz attributed these issues to the "flawed and biased policies" of the previous government and a lack of accountability among service providers.

He said, "The telecom sector will be restructured to eliminate redundant licensing layers across the entire internet and voice value chain." 

However, no existing business will be left out until consumers leave them, he assured, stressing the need for affordable and high-quality internet services.

Faiz also criticised the existing definition of broadband internet, stating that speeds of 3-5 Mbps should not be considered broadband, and a minimum of 20 Mbps should be standard. He noted that neighbouring countries maintain consistent broadband speeds above 150 Mbps.

He also reaffirmed the current administration's commitment to avoiding policies that favour a handful of companies, a practice he accused the previous government of enabling.

He further stated that the government wants nationwide fibre optic cable network owners with Nationwide Telecommunication Transmission Network (NTTN) licences to focus solely on renting their infrastructure instead of selling bandwidth. 

At the event, Bangladesh Nationalist Party International Affairs Committee Member Engineer Ishraque Hossain, speaking as a special guest, demanded a white paper detailing alleged corruption in the telecom sector during the previous government's tenure.

"This sector was ravaged by graft and mismanagement. Meaningful reforms are overdue," he said, pledging his party's support for pro-people overhauls.

The event underscored a growing consensus among policymakers, industry leaders, and consumers on the urgent need for systemic reforms to transform Bangladesh's digital infrastructure into a driver of equitable growth.

Speaking at the event, former CEO of Robi Axiata Mahtab Uddin Ahmed urged the telecom regulator to take action for sectoral reforms and ensure a level playing field for smaller operators.

Technology entrepreneur Fahim Mashroor called for a reduction in taxes on telecom services to make it affordable, noting that the government currently takes away over Tk60 out of every Tk100 spent by consumers.

Telecom expert Mustafa Mahmud Hussain, in his keynote address, outlined industry challenges and stressed the need for balanced, competitive, and fair market policies so that the country can have 100 Mbps connections in every household to promote the next generation technologies.

The programme was moderated by Mobile Phone Consumers' Association President Mohiuddin Ahmed.