BTRC lifts ban on Grameenphone’s SIM sales after six months

The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission has lifted a ban on Grameenphone’s SIM sales after six months, clearing the way for the largest telecom carrier to acquire new customers.

Grameenphone, the Bangladesh unit of Norway’s Telenor, received a letter from the regulator on the withdrawal of the ban, the company’s CEO Yasir Azman said on Tuesday.

The BTRC barred the sales of new SIMs by Grameenphone, citing the “poor quality” of the mobile carrier’s services on Jun 29. Azman said the ban was an “inappropriate measure” to resolve any issues tied to the quality of services.

“Nevertheless, since the imposition of the embargo, the company has had a constructive dialogue with the regulator and has repeatedly reiterated that such a move deprives customers of exercising their freedom of choice and raises investor concerns,” he said.

Grameenphone will continue to invest in its networks to improve services, according to Azman.

Its customer base came down to 80.34 million in November from 84.8 million in June when the ban was imposed, according to data from BTRC.

It is leading the other operators with a 107.4-megahertz spectrum. Robi has a 104-megahertz spectrum, Banglalink 80 megahertz and state-owned Teletalk 55.2 megahertz. bdnews24