4G spectrum auction by 2016: Tarana

The government will hold auction of 4G spectrum in the current year along with the remaining spectrum of 2G and 3G, state minister for posts and telecommunications Tarana Halim said on Wednesday.
She also said that the government would sit with the authorities of Facebook, Google and Microsoft to strengthen the country’s cyber security.
‘We will run the auction of 4G this year,’ Tarana said at a press briefing in Dhaka while describing the recent the success of Posts and Telecommunication Division in various issues at her office.
She said there would be a base price and all the operators would get equal opportunity for the bidding of 4G.
‘All the operators will get equal chance to bid for 4G spectrum as long as they meet the criteria of the auction guidelines,’ Tarana said.
Replying to a question whether the government will auction the remaining spectrum of 2G and 3G before the auction of 4G, telecom secretary Faizur Rahman Chowdhury said all he actions would take place at the same time.
‘All the auctions will be held at the same time. The only thing we want to make sure that the operators which already have higher spectrum should not be allowed for the bidding at the first phase,’ he said.
4G is a faster data transfer technology than the existing 3G.
The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission was scheduled to auction the remaining 1800MHz or 2G and 2100MHz or 3G spectrum last year but failed to hold it because of non-cooperation of the operators.
Later, the BTRC changed some clauses of the guidelines to hold the auction but the amendments are still pending before the telecom ministry for approval.
Tarana also said that the government would sit with the Facebook, Google and Microsoft authorities on January 12 in Singapore.
‘The Facebook authorities have requested for a focal point which we have already provided. So, now we will sit with them with the latest updates to convince them to set up an admin panel in Bangladesh,’ she said.
Tarana also said that the BTRC would soon issue directive for compensation for mobile phone call drops.
‘The BTRC is monitoring the issue and will soon issue a directive so that the operators must compensate their users for drop calls,’ she said.

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