Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission is yet to finalise guidelines on satellite landing rights even after four years of taking an initiative.
Satellite landing rights are a legal permission for using satellite signal in a country. Under the permission, satellite companies are supposed to comply with certain rules and regulations of that country along with payment of fees and charges to authorities concerned.
At present, satellite companies which are providing services to Bangladeshi entities including television channels do not require any such permission from the regulatory body due to absence of rules.
Bangabandhu Satellite-1, the lone satellite of Bangladesh that was launched on May 11 this year, will have to take landing rights from the authorities concerned in the countries where it would provide services.
The initiative of the government regarding guidelines formulation has remained limited to formation of a committee and restructuring of the committee. BTRC formed the committee in March, 2013.
Initially the committee was comprised of eight members including BTRC commissioner and director general, and satellite project director.
The telecom regulator, however, reconstituted it in 2017 by increasing the number of the committee members to 10 and replacing two members of the committee.
BTRC again at a recent commission meeting decided to reconstruct the committee by increasing the number of committee members to 11.
Bangladesh Communication Satellite Company Limited chairman Shajhahan Mahmood told New Age, ‘Having guidelines on satellite landing rights is a vital factor for a country like Bangladesh as we have already launched our first satellite.’
‘We would request the government to formulate guidelines in this regard immediately as foreign satellite companies are entering Bangladesh freely,’ said Mahmood, also the immediate past chairman of BTRC.
Formulation of guidelines would allow the government to regulate the sector more effectively along with earning revenue in the form of fees and charges against the issuance of satellite landing rights to foreign entities, he said.
As a satellite operating entity, BCSCL requires regulatory permission like satellite landing rights from the regulatory authorities of a country where Bangabandhu Satellite-1 would provide services, he said.
Without getting regulatory approval, Bangabandhu Satellite-1 would not be able to provide services in the countries where its footprint is comparatively strong, Mahmood said.
Besides bringing satellite entities under regulatory framework, ensuring level playing field for the Bangladeshi television channels by imposing landing rights on the foreign TV channels was among other reasons for taking the initiative of guidelines formulation.
Foreign companies would require regulatory approval for entering Bangladesh along with payment of fees once the guidelines are finalised.
Asked about the delay in finalising guidelines on satellite landing rights, acting BTRC chairman Md Jahurul Haque told New Age that he had no idea about the matter.
Source: http://www.newagebd.net/article/57669/btrc-yet-to-finalise-satellite-landing-rights-guidelines