In order to successfully integrate satellite internet into the nation’s telecommunications landscape, mobile phone operators and other stakeholders have praised the decision to open doors for the service and urged the telecom regulator to adopt a cooperative approach and non-discriminatory treatment into consideration.
They said that in addition to backhauling, catastrophe management, and consumer data utilisation, the program might open up new avenues for closing digital gaps.
However, the draft guidelines for Non-Geostationary Orbit (NGSO) Satellite Service are being closely examined by operators and stakeholders in order to evaluate the potential impact on the industry. This is because it may allow foreign companies that are fully owned, like Elon Musk’s Starlink, to obtain licenses to enter Bangladesh.
The draft regulatory and licensing guidelines for NGSO Satellite Service Operators were posted on the website by the telecom regulator, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), on October 29. The company is looking for feedback by November 18 in order to finalise the guidelines.
A group of companies that offer internet services to consumers, the Internet Service Providers Association of Bangladesh (ISPAB), is also open to embracing new technologies. Prior to that, it stressed the importance of determining the technology’s requirement before implementing it.
Md. Emdadul Hoque, the president of ISPAB, informed BSS that new technologies are always welcomed as long as they are appropriate for the nation and industry.
