Prices stay at high levels

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Three private land phone companies yesterday received licences from Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to operate fixed phone services in central Dhaka.

This is the first time private fixed phone operators, also known as PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) operators, have been awarded the licence to operate in Dhaka. The BTRC had been withholding licences to operate in Dhaka.

The three PSTN operators that received licence to operate in Dhaka are RanksTel, Dhaka Telephone Company Ltd (DTCL) and Square Informatix.

Of them, both RanksTel and DTCL received their licences in May 2005 to operate in four zones in the country outside Dhaka.

RanksTel (Ranks Telecom Limited), with more than one lakh subscribers, has an established network in four operational zones in the country.

DTCL is an enterprise of Mirza Abbas, former housing and public works minister of BNP-led alliance government. It has around 9,000 subscribers.

Square Informatix on the other hand is a newcomer — having no prior operational experience.

Sources said the phone services provided by these private companies would use wireless systems with limited mobility.

A RanksTel official told The Daily Star that RanksTel is planning to start offering land phone services to customers from end of September or from early October. Within an hour a subscriber makes the payment, a new connection would be established at the location designated by the subscriber, he said adding, “The prices would be attractive.”

RanksTel sources said the phone company is likely to introduce various package offers ranging from Tk 1,500 to Tk 3,000.

At a simple ceremony yesterday, Maj Gen Manzurul Alam, chairman of BTRC, handed over RanksTel’s licence to Zakia Rouf Chowdhury, executive vice chairperson of Rangs Group.

BTRC Vice Chairman AMM Reza-e-Rabbi, commissioners Justice M Abdus Salam, SM Monir Ahmed and Aliwardy Khandkar, and RanksTel officials Amanullah Chowdhury and Anwar Hossain were also present at the ceremony.

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