BTRC strengthens rules allowing telecommunications operators to improve their services

The telecoms regulator has drawn up stricter quality of service (QoS) criteria for mobile operators to better protect users’ interests, even though the companies fared poorly in previous measures.

For the first time, the Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has also included transmission networks and broadband service providers under the scope of quality of service.

Key changes in the draft include lowering the call abandonment rate cap from 2 percent to 1 percent and increasing the call setup success rate standard from 97 percent to 98 percent. Voice call setup time has also been reduced from 8 seconds to 7 seconds. Additionally, a new benchmark has been introduced for call setup time in Voice over Long-Term Evolution (VoLTE) and beyond, setting the limit at 3 seconds maximum.

VoLTE is a technology that enables high-quality voice calls over 4G LTE networks instead of traditional voice networks. It offers faster call setup, clearer audio quality and the ability to use voice and data services simultaneously, improving the overall efficiency of mobile communications and user experience.

Although the download speed standard on mobile Internet remains unchanged, the upload speed requirement has been increased from 2 Mbps to 4 Mbps. Additionally, for the first time, mobile data latency has been limited to less than 50 milliseconds, improving the quality of real-time communications.

In the broadband sector, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) must now guarantee 75% of the subscribed download speed and 50% of the upload speed.

According to the draft regulation, beyond safeguarding the interests of subscribers, the updated standards aim to create an environment that encourages competition, stimulates innovation and promotes trust between stakeholders. The regulatory objectives also aim to improve subscriber satisfaction, maintain quality of service, ensure consumer protection, promote competition and build confidence within the telecom sector in Bangladesh.

In addition, the BTRC may verify and evaluate the performance of services to determine whether service providers meet the defined benchmarks for the QoS parameters described in these regulations. This assessment may occur randomly or in response to complaints about QoS issues in specific areas or areas. It may be carried out by means of inspections, test drives, sample tests or other measurement methods by agents, employees or agencies designated by the BTRC or jointly with service providers.

The BTRC may also request service providers to carry out additional specialist service quality assessment tests and surveys and submit subsequent reports if deemed necessary. Any service provider that fails to maintain QoS standards, submit required reports, or comply with the provisions described in these regulations will be liable for violation of these regulations. Submitting inaccurate, misleading or incomplete information will also be considered a violation. Violation of any of these regulations constitutes an offense and the person responsible is liable to administrative fines under the Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulation Act, 2001.

Mustafa Mahmud Hussain, a telecommunications expert, said the draft guidelines are an important step towards improving the telecom service landscape in Bangladesh. With fine-tuning and expanded scope, it has the potential to align Bangladesh’s service quality framework with global standards, thereby fostering consumer confidence and driving competitive growth in the sector.

“While the regulations take into account 4G, VoLTE and fixed internet, provisions for satellite broadband (e.g. Starlink) and IoT connectivity should be added, given their growing importance in the ecosystem evolving telecommunications,” he added. Hussain noted that these draft guidelines are consistent with ITU standards and offer actionable insights to further improve customer experience.

Although the BTRC has implemented stricter regulations, mobile operators cannot even maintain the current standards. Hossain Sadat, head of public and regulatory affairs at Grameenphone, said they were included in the consultation process and received a new version of the QoS regulations.

“We are evaluating this version and will provide our response accordingly. We look forward to continuing the consultation process to be able to conclude on industry-aligned QoS regulations, making it rational and sustainable,” he said.

Local mobile operators performed poorly in the telecoms regulator’s latest driving test to assess service quality, reinforcing users’ claims that they receive substandard services. The test drives were conducted between February 14 and June 5 last year in the municipal corporations of Dhaka, Narayanganj, Keraniganj and Savar upazilas with the newly acquired system by the BTRC in Germany, purchased for 1.5 million euros.

Robi performed the best, failing in just five out of 40 key performance indicators (KPIs) across four areas. According to the test results, market leader Grameenphone failed in six KPIs, Banglalink in 14 and Teletalk in a staggering 26.

For internet services, only state-owned Teletalk failed to meet the BTRC criteria, with Robi the best performer. However, operator officials disagreed with the findings, saying the BTRC results do not accurately reflect network performance and could cause confusion among the public.