The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has published a draft of the highly anticipated “Telecommunication Network and Licensing Regime Reform Policy 2025,” aimed at simplifying and overhauling the country’s telecom licensing structure, which has been in place for over 15 years.
The proposed policy seeks to deregulate and streamline the existing system by reducing the numerous licensing layers to just three main categories: international connectivity service providers, national infrastructure and connectivity service providers, and access network service providers.
The draft, released on April 22, invites feedback from stakeholders, experts, and the public until April 30. The policy outlines that services like submarine and terrestrial cable-based international connectivity, IP transit, carrier contracts, and call termination will fall under the international connectivity category. Licenses for international gateway (IGW) and international internet gateway (IIG) services will be phased out by 2027, and existing license holders may apply for the broader international connectivity provider license.
The national infrastructure and connectivity service category will cover services like tower sharing and nationwide transmission. However, interconnection exchanges (ICX) and national internet exchange (NIX) licenses will also be discontinued upon expiry, with existing licensees eligible to apply for broader licenses.
The access network layer, which directly serves end users, will not have any licenses revoked. However, the BTRC plans to merge fixed broadband internet service licenses, which are currently issued separately at national, divisional, district, and thana levels, into a single fixed telecom service license. Smaller ISPs that do not meet the new requirements will have the option to register as small ISPs through an enlistment process.
The proposed reforms also suggest removing licensing or registration requirements for call center services, vehicle tracking services, and telecommunications value-added services.
Once the public consultation period concludes, the draft will await government approval.
In a separate move, the BTRC has urged the government to repeal the 2010 amendments to the Bangladesh Telecommunications Act, which restricted the regulator’s independence. The BTRC emphasized the need for autonomy in licensing, tariff setting, and operational activities that currently require ministry approval. The BTRC also called for legal safeguards to prevent internet blackouts, similar to the one in July 2024.
