Telecom minister urges operators to fix call drops, rural coverage
“Many people say, ‘I bought a Tk500 package. I still have money, but the validity has expired, and everything is gone.’ Why does this happen?” Faqir Mahbub Anam asks, urging operators to clearly explain package terms and conditions to customers
Post and Telecommunications Minister Faqir Mahbub Anam has urged mobile operators to address persistent complaints over call drops, poor rural coverage and confusing package validity, saying better service quality must reach customers across the country.
"Many complaints are about call drops, rural network coverage and mobile packages. Operators need to make customers more aware of how these services work," he said at a network modernisation event organised by Robi Axiata at its corporate headquarters in Dhaka today (19 August).
The minister said many customers remain unaware that they are entitled to compensation when a call drops.
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"If you make people more aware that there is no charge deducted from them when a call drops and that the amount is returned to them, then it would help," he said.
He also highlighted package validity as a recurring source of frustration, urging operators to clearly explain their terms and conditions.
Mahbub said he had raised the issues with all four mobile operators – Grameenphone, Banglalink, Robi and state-owned Teletalk – to reduce customer complaints.
He also criticised the uneven distribution of network coverage between urban and rural areas and urged operators not to concentrate investment only in major cities.
Referring to his own constituency, he said he rarely receives calls from Robi numbers despite the operator having millions of subscribers. He urged operators not to concentrate network investment only in major cities.
He also suggested that infrastructure sharing, including tower sharing, could help operators expand services to underserved areas more efficiently.
The minister's remarks came as Robi announced the completion of a major modernisation of its mobile network across greater Dhaka.
Robi said it had upgraded more than 4,800 sites using next-generation GIGA GREEN 4G/5G-ready equipment, improving data speeds, voice quality and indoor coverage.
Customer experience improved by up to 125%, while call drops declined by 20%, according to the operator. Deep-indoor coverage and connectivity quality in Greater Dhaka and Gazipur improved threefold, while energy consumption per gigabyte fell by 20%.
Rehan Asif Asad, adviser to the prime minister on post, telecommunications and information technology, said quality of service has become the key differentiator as the telecom industry matures.
"I am happy to see Robi strengthening its competitive muscle by revamping its Dhaka network. A win-win formula works best when customers are satisfied with service quality," he said.
Major General (retd) Md Emdad Ul Bari, chairman of the BTRC, praised Robi's technology team for upgrading around 5,000 sites within a short period.
Robi Managing Director and CEO Ziad Shatara said the Dhaka modernisation had made its network the strongest in the capital and that the company would soon complete a similar upgrade in Chattogram.
However, he said some areas still require new network sites and sought government and regulatory support to facilitate their acquisition.
