Country’s three private mobile operators — Grammenphone, Banglalink, Robi & Airtel—have become ‘desperate’ to extract money from their customers. However, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), a regulatory body responsible for ensuring protection of the interest of customers as well as quality service seems to be turning a blind eye to the matter.
Allegations against the three mobile operators are rife that cell phone users are not getting their data pack at fair rate fixed by the BTRC. Besides, mobile users continue to complain about regular call drops and poor internet services. Despite repeated complaints, the BTRC has not yet taken any initiative to address the issue.
A news item headlined ‘Mobile operators charge at will’ published in the Bangladesh Post on Monday, says the price of the same package of internet or bundle offered by three private operators — Grammenphone, Banglalink, Robi and Airtel—is at least three times higher than the same package of state-owned Teletalk. The government regulatory bodies seem to have no control over the pricing of internet data packages or call charges of different private mobile operators.
So, differences in the pricing among the telecom operators’ existing internet packages are raising concern among the mobile users. Customers have to pay different amounts of money for the same data package of different operators. The same internet packages that are offered by mobile service operators have no similarity among them. Information obtained from different operators’ websites shows that Banglalink’s 1GB internet pack with 7-day validity costs Tk 69, while the same pack of Teletalk costs only Tk 21.
Cell phone users are not
getting their data pack
at fair rate fixed by the BTRC
It was also found that Grameenphone offers a 3GB internet package at Tk 98 for seven days while the same package offered by Banglalink for 30 days costs Tk 299. Accordingly, Robi does not offer any weekly 3GB pack.
However, state-owned Teletalk charges Tk 47 for a weekly 3GB pack. Differences are observed among the combo packs offered by various operators. It is clear that by giving eye-catching advertisements the mobile operators are making money illegally.
The mobile operators are now doing everything to extract money from the users. We want to see stern against the mobile operators for charging the customers for data pack at their will. They are supposed to sell data pack at affordable prices by introducing new
technologies.
According to BTRC data, the number of mobile internet users declined by 20 thousands in September, 3.60 lakh in October and 4.50 lakh in November in 2023.
The authorities concerned must show zero tolerance against such activities of the mobile operators. And private mobile operators must follow the rules set by the BTRC to ensure quality service for the customers.