Bangladesh’s telecom regulator has approved a one-month trial allocation of spectrum from the 850 MHz and Extended GSM bands to assess interference between the two adjacent frequencies, in a move that paves the way for eventual formal assignment of the bands through auction or other regulatory mechanisms.
The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission will assign 8.4 MHz of EGSM spectrum — specifically 880–888.4 MHz paired with 925–933.4 MHz — to participating operators for four weeks at no financial cost. A joint technical committee comprising BTRC officials and operators will collect data throughout the trial period and submit a consolidated interference report. BTRC Chairman Md Emdad ul Bari confirmed the trial is open to any operator and that formal allocation will follow once interference implications are assessed.
The EGSM band, an extension of the standard GSM 900 MHz range, offers strong indoor penetration and wide-area coverage, making it particularly valuable for rural network reliability. However, its proximity to the 850 MHz band creates a signal leakage risk that has previously derailed attempts to deploy it. A 2024 plan to assign EGSM spectrum exclusively to Grameenphone was shelved after objections from Robi Axiata and Banglalink, which cited high filter costs, potential coverage degradation, and market imbalance concerns.
The current trial follows BTRC’s earlier award of 700 MHz spectrum to Grameenphone earlier in 2026 — a process that drew sharp criticism from rival operators who argued it undermined competitive neutrality. Robi subsequently sought access to additional low-band frequencies, prompting BTRC to form a technical committee to manage spectrum scarcity and coexistence.
Editor’s Note: Bangladesh’s spectrum policy is under significant industry and regulatory scrutiny following the contested 700 MHz award to Grameenphone, and the EGSM trial represents BTRC’s attempt to demonstrate a more inclusive approach to low-band allocation. Watch whether the trial produces clean interference results that allow a competitive auction, or whether technical findings give operators grounds to delay or challenge the process again.
