DHAKA, July 31, 2022 (BSS) - Bangladesh Mobile Phone Consumers' Association (BMPCA) today raised question on speed and network test measurement process of crowd-sourcing platforms Ookla and OpenSignal demanding publication of their report under telecom regulator's supervision.

It raised the question on methodology and validity of OoKLA (Speedtest) and OpenSignal (Mobile Network Experience) report on Bangladesh network standards at a press conference at Crime Reporters Association of Bangladesh (CRAB), Segunbagicha here.

Mohiuddin Ahmed, president of the Bangladesh Mobile Phone Users Association, said according to an Ookla analysis from the previous year, Bangladesh was ranked the 137th out of 139 nations in terms of mobile Internet speed. 

The government stopped selling new SIM cards for mobile operator Grameenphone on June 25 after claiming that the company's service quality was the lowest, he added.

But the interesting fact is Grameenphone and Banglalink were named the top mobile operators of the country in a report released two days ago by OpenSignal, a business association in Hong Kong, he mentioned.

"Moreover, the amount paid to the foreign commercial company to obtain this certificate is the subject of our inquiry, and we are perplexed as to why the company would issue such a document in the absence of any coordination with the government or compliance with the regulatory commission's obligations to protect customers' privacy," Ahmed said.

"We claim to the government that these institutions should be held accountable, ensuring the information rights of the customers and not creating confusion among the customers," he added.

The organization's advisory technician, Tanvir Hassan Zoha, stated during the press conference that none of these organizations' reporting standards are accurate. 

They claimed that they had obtained consumer information from YouTube or Facebook, which is unacceptable given that both platforms never divulge user data to third parties, he said.
 
So if they gained access to the customer's device and took the sample, they would be breaking the law and violating data privacy. The issue should not be treated lightly by the government, he said.

He added it is important to look into whether these organizations are using malware on BTS towers to acquire data from people who are sitting in other countries.

Md. Abu Saleh, Program Coordinator of Bangladesh Mobile Phone Consumers' Association presented the article in the press conference. 

BMPCA's General Secretary Abu Bakr Siddique, Central Member Advocate Saheda Begum and Mita Rahman, Publicity Secretary Sheikh Farid and , President of Bangladesh Mobile Phone Recharge Businessmen Association Aminul Islam Bulu along with high officials attended the press conference.