Entrepreneurs demand reforms in telecom ecosystem

The country's telecommunication ecosystem needs an overhaul to reduce the layers involved in voice and internet services, making them more affordable and accessible for the general public—crucial for a thriving digital economy, experts and entrepreneurs discussed during a roundtable in the capital on Saturday (12 October).

Mahtab Uddin Ahmed, managing director of BuildCon Consultancies Ltd, said, "The previous regime had created excessive layers of service providers within the voice and internet ecosystem, issuing licenses to affiliated individuals. As a result, consumers face inflated costs, while a handful of firms dominate the market due to a lack of healthy competition." 

Ahmed, also a former president of the Association of Mobile Telecom Operators Bangladesh, suggested that introducing unified licenses and eliminating floor prices could lower the cost of both data and voice calls, as each additional layer contributes to higher costs.

The event, organised by the citizen platform Tech Industry Policy Advocacy Platform, saw the participation of around a hundred representatives from the telecom, IT, startup, fintech, outsourcing, and other technology sectors. 

Special guests included Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun, executive chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (Bida), and Mahmud Hossain, commissioner of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC).

AKM Fahim Mashroor, the platform coordinator and a technology entrepreneur, proposed forming an expert committee to devise strategies for immediately reducing data and voice call prices, which would lead to deeper market penetration. 

He noted that "Although mobile operators' subscriber numbers exceed the country's population, 45% of people still do not use mobile phones, and 65% do not own smartphones, contributing to Bangladesh's lag in global digital rankings." 

To address this, he called for an industry master plan to provide smartphones through affordable instalment schemes for low-income individuals.

Mashroor further advocated for toll-free calls for citizen services and subsidised data for daily commercial use, which he believes would boost digital adoption, enhancing transparency and efficiency. In his keynote, he highlighted the need for ensuring availability and quality of telecom services, improving cybersecurity, providing incentives, and fostering a skilled workforce to create quality jobs.

Fida Haq from Adorsho Praniseba and Didarul Bhuiyan from ABAC Technologies presented 20 key recommendations for the development of the tech industry. These included easing the lives of freelancers, boosting ICT services, supporting startups and digital commerce, reducing dependency on foreign software, and fostering local industry growth. 

They also called for a national strategy and roadmap for frontier technologies, reforms in government technology procurement, skill development, promoting cashless payments, simplifying app monetisation, strengthening national data architecture, and supporting local hardware production.

Fida Haq noted that "By splitting large IT projects and relying more on local software, Bangladesh could save significantly each year, as the country currently imports over a billion dollars' worth of software annually." 

Shahadat Khan, founder and CEO of TallyKhata, emphasised the importance of using artificial intelligence to analyse data, enabling micro-entrepreneurs to access bank loans more cost-effectively.

Freelancers attending the event urged the government to allow global payment platforms like PayPal and Stripe to operate in Bangladesh. 

Raisul Kabir, CEO of software exporter Brainstation3, highlighted the need for improved banking systems to facilitate international business for Bangladeshi companies.

Mir Shahrukh Islam from Bondstein Technologies pointed out that high tariffs on IoT devices are hindering the industry's growth and called for swift action. 

Meanwhile, Mahmudul Hasan Sohag, Chairman of Onnorokom Group, stressed the need for quality ICT education and training, and for appointing the right people to national tasks. He noted that ICT service exports, currently valued at $600 million, have the potential for significant growth.

BTRC Commissioner Mahmud Hossain assured attendees that reforms in the telecom sector, including reductions in call rates, are already in progress, with more changes on the way. He also stressed the importance of BTRC's autonomy, pointing out how previous government policies had weakened its effectiveness.

Bida Executive Chairman Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud highlighted the need for complete digitalisation of public services to improve efficiency and transparency. 

He announced that "BIDA will form a Business Advisory Council, composed of actual industry players rather than politicised trade body leaders, to encourage domestic and foreign investment."

TIM Nurul Kabir, executive director of the Foreign Investors' Chamber of Commerce and Industry, called for greater coordination, collaboration, consistency, credibility, and capacity to attract foreign investment, areas where Bangladesh has struggled in recent years.

Mir Masud Kabir, managing director of Mango Teleservices, echoed these sentiments, noting that new technologies have the potential to attract both local and foreign investment, but proper policy support is essential to achieve this.