Bangladesh’s leading telecom operators, Grameenphone and Robi Axiata, have each secured an additional 20 MHz of spectrum in the 2.6 GHz band after two years of negotiations over pricing. The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) granted 15-year contracts for the spectrum at a price of BDT11.6 billion (US$98.6 million) per operator.
The additional spectrum, originally left over from a 2022 auction, will enable the operators to enhance service quality for their subscribers. Both companies had initially contested the price increase due to the weakening of the taka against the US dollar, but a compromise was reached with the BTRC agreeing to a price of BDT580 million per MHz. The BTRC also allowed payment in local currency to address the foreign exchange issue.
This deal marks a significant step for Grameenphone and Robi in their efforts to improve customer service while managing the substantial investments required for spectrum acquisition.