BTRC has directed to stop all the free Facebook services of mobile operators in Bangladesh. Revenue collection is also a major factor behind the Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission’s (BTRC) directive to discontinue free internet packages on social media.
The government has set a limit of 0.5 percent of the company’s total promotional expenditure in the current budget of the fiscal year 2020-21. Operators are also not showing any objection to curb free offers.
Although the use of the internet has increased during the Corona period, the government’s revenue is not increasing from there. As a result, the government’s revenue will also increase if the free offer is curbed. All in all, the idea of increasing revenue has also limited free internet access, sources said.
Customers in the country have the opportunity to use various social media including Facebook for free or almost free with the internet package. BTRC has pulled the reins there.
In a letter from the Information Ministry, the BTRC said in a directive sent to the operators on Tuesday that free internet would no longer be available. This leads to unhealthy competition in the market and many people use these free packages to commit ‘unnecessary criminal’ activities.
The BTRC letter gave a date of July 14, but the operators said they received it on July 16. The letter called for the directive to be implemented from July 15 (last Wednesday).
Meanwhile, Grameenphone, the top mobile operator in terms of subscribers, announced in an announcement on their recognized Facebook page on Saturday that they have stopped all free offers related to Facebook.
