Mobile phone users air grievances at regulator's public hearing

Businessman KM Nahian Hossain has been repeatedly knocking on his telecom operator for two years to fix his poor network signal at his Dhanmondi residence and has yet to find a solution.

Hossain expressed his frustration at a regulatory public hearing in the capital today (8 May), saying that the top operator, along with its competitors, continues to blame property owners in prime locations for not allowing the construction of new mobile towers on their properties.

Anika Tasnim, a corporate executive in the capital, is increasingly frustrated by the need to attempt multiple times to connect to a voice call, even when she's outdoors.

Rahat Mahmud, a communication specialist at a private firm, favours internet-based calls over cellular voice calls due to their poor quality. He also struggles with fluctuating internet speeds, which makes it challenging for him to maintain conversations.

Mobile phone users, like Anika Tasnim and Rahat Mahmud who spoke to TBS, often experience silence, static noise, or distorted sounds after connecting calls.

Amirul Islam, a tech-savvy mobile phone user, experienced poor connectivity even at the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission's (BTRC) office in Agargaon today during the public hearing on telecommunication services and regulatory functions.

The computer science and engineering student enthusiastically shared his findings about the subpar service quality.

According to the BTRC, in the fiscal year 2022-23, more than one-third of the 15,335 customer complaints were about telecom operators' service quality, with less than 20% regarding data speed.

Amirul observed that despite acquiring sufficient spectrum in a 2021 auction, operators opted for a lower-quality 15 Mhz network frequency at their regulator's office instead of the available 20 Mhz.

At the public hearing hosted by the BTRC, he criticised the mobile operators for delaying the deployment of their existing spectrum resources adequately.

For instance, he noted that although operators purchased stronger spectrum in 2022 for both current 4G services and future 5G services, they largely remained unused.

Only a few locations saw the deployment of the stronger spectrum, which proved ineffective due to a lack of optimisation, resulting in connectivity issues falling back to the inferior band operators acquired in 2021.

Engineer Md Mohiuddin Ahmed, BTRC chairman who chaired the session, acknowledged the prevailing issues, stating that they significantly impact improving user experiences.

Zunaid Ahmed Palak, state minister for posts, telecommunications, and information technology, serving as the chief guest, called for a stronger BTRC IT audit capacity to thoroughly monitor the technical compliance of licensees.

Brig Gen Kazi Mustafizur Rahman, BTRC director general for engineering and operations, said that the spectrum allocated among operators increased from 0.88 MHz per million users in 2021 to 1.89 MHz after the 2022 auction.

However, he noted that this increase has yet to benefit users as operators need to invest in new equipment to utilise the added spectrum and proceed with their investment plans.

Operators have been urged by BTRC to accelerate and meet the targets set by the regulator within the specified timeframe. For instance, GP's spectrum rollout was 5.48% last year, and BTRC increased the target to 25% by June this year, with GP achieving 14.11% so far.

Robi's spectrum rollout was only 0.13% last year, but it has already improved to 22.36%, with Banglalink reaching 7.74%, according to Kazi Mustafizur Rahman.

BTRC Director General for Spectrum Brig Gen Mohammad Moniruzzaman Jewel mentioned that the regulator facilitated operators by providing spectrum-neutral licenses earlier this year.

He also emphasised that operators should enhance their services using new technologies like voice-over Wi-Fi and indoor network equipment in the future.

BTRC officials addressed users concerned about the delay in launching 5G, saying that they prioritise strengthening 4G coverage nationwide before considering 5G implementation.

Mohiuddin Ahmed, the president of the Bangladesh Mobile Phone Customer Association, urged the regulator to strictly enforce the Telecom Act to eliminate consumer-unfriendly practices in the sector, such as flashing account balances after a certain period.

He also emphasised the importance of preventing ministry interference in the regulator's tasks.

Brig Gen Mohammad Khalil-Ur-Rahman, BTRC director general for system and services, said that the regulator has already resolved many customer issues by communicating with operators. Additionally, based on feedback from 65,000 customers in a survey, the BTRC plans to establish a data package and pricing framework for the industry.

In response to concerns about a potential ban on unofficial smartphones, BTRC Commissioner Engineer Sheikh Reaz Ahmed reassured consumers that unofficial phones currently in use would not be banned.