DHAKA, July 26, 2018 (BSS) – Mobile Number Portability (MNP) operator, Infozillion is set to offer the much awaited service to the country’s mobile phone users.
The company has completed interconnectivity and other related process with three private mobile network operators -Grameenphone, Robi and Banglalink while state-owned Teletalk has done only interconnection, said a top official of the operator.
Talking to BSS today, Infozillion BD Teletech Consortium Limited (IBTCL) Managing Director Mabroor Hossain said after completing all preparations, they are waiting for the go ahead signal of telecom regulator BTRC.
“We can go on operation any moment, if the regulator asks to do so,” he revealed.
The regulator -Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC)- decided to launch the MNP service on August 1 and directed all the concerned operators to complete the necessary preparations by July 31.
BTRC acting Chairman Md Jahurul Haque recently told BSS that they are optimistic of launching the MNP service as per their stipulated time.
“Our concerned division is working to introduce the MNP operation in time,” he added.
Meanwhile, the private operators in a letter to the telecom regulator said they would not be able to implement the MNP until some “regulatory, technical and commercial” aspects are resolved.
They said MNP has stumbled again due to a new regulatory directive issued by the BTRC on July 25.
The operators said, in the new directive, duty and responsibilities of international gateway (IGW) operators for MNP execution have been passed on to the mobile phone operators.
But, according to the ILDTS (international long distance telecommunication service) policy and the MNP guideline, respective operators are supposed to manage such works from their end. It will be a violation of clause 5.2 and 6.4 of ILDTS policy and clause 5.3 of MNP guideline schedule 7 (4), they added.
The operators said, “There is no room for accommodating any change at this stage keeping 31st July 2018 as MNP launch date.”
On November 30 last year, the telecom regulator handed over the MNP license to the selected joint venture firm Infozillion BD Teletech Consortium Limited (IBTCL).
The company, IBTCL, a joint venture of Infozillion BD Limited and Teletech DOO, Slovenia, was directed to provide the service within 180 days of getting the license.
About the delay, Mabroor Hossain said they have completed their preparations related to the hardware and software two months ago.
Replying to a query regarding the development of new BTRC directives to the operators, he said they don’t know anything about it. “Mobile network operators, IGWs and BTRC are involved with this process.” According to the MNP guidelines, IBTCL had to port at least one per cent of the mobile phone subscribers through the service by May this year (2018).
More than 72 countries have MNP, which increases competition among operators in terms of service quality, said officials.
Once the service is introduced, the mobile phone user can port to another operator retaining his/her number unchanged at Taka 30 plus VAT and the process would take highest 72 hours. If any user again wants to change operator, he/she has to wait 90 days.