Mobile operators oppose fixed line licence change

Country’s six mobile operators have raised concerns over the government’s plan to let fixed phone operators provide limited mobility services by amending their licence conditions. Such a move would create huge anomalies in the telecom sector, chief executives of six mobile operators said in a letter to the telecoms secretary.

The concern arose following newspaper reports that the fixed line operators would be able to provide mobile services to subscribers in certain areas within a city and offer internet protocol (IP) telephony and IP television services.

The letter, signed by all six CEOs, said that if mobility is extended landline phone operators, this will create imbalances in the telecom market.

It will also seriously harm mobile operators by introducing new competitors with undue privilege, which would be against the protection of their investment and would create a ripple effect for new investors, it says.

Grameenphone CEO Vivek Sood, Banglalink CEO Ziad Shatara, Robi CEO Supun Weerasinghe, Airtel CEO Chris Tobit, Citycell CEO Mehboob Chowdhury and Managing Director of state-owned Teletalk Md Mujibur Rahman signed the letter.

-Telecom Paper.