‘Govt to act if telcos don’t cut internet prices’

The government will take measures if mobile operators fail to reduce internet prices, said Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, the special assistant to the chief adviser with executive authority over the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and ICT.

He made the remarks yesterday at a press conference held at the office of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) in Dhaka, marking World Telecommunication and Information Society Day 2025.

In response to a question about why mobile operators have not yet lowered internet prices, Taiyeb said that bandwidth prices at the gateway and transmission levels have already been reduced.

"We have already taken necessary regulatory and practical steps to ensure mobile operators reduce internet charges. Stakeholders have participated in this process. Those who haven't should get involved," he said.

"Since we have reduced prices at the gateway and transmission levels, we deserve internet prices to decrease at the user level."

Calling on mobile companies to cooperate, he warned that if they fail to respond, the government would bring unresolved financial issues and key performance indicators (KPIs) to the negotiation table.

"If they don't cooperate, we will raise pending dues and performance metrics in bilateral talks," he added.

"We do not want to block anyone's path," Taiyeb emphasised. "But we want to reach a point, through dialogue with stakeholders, where citizens can access quality internet at an affordable price. We will remain steadfast for that."

He added that the government is ready to offer waivers in logical cases and challenge any irrational ones.

Speaking at the same event, BTRC Chairman Md Emdad ul Bari reiterated that reducing internet costs remains a top priority for both the government and the commission.

However, he said prices cannot be brought down overnight as it depends on the entire industry, not just on one agency.

He added that the BTRC wants to deregulate the internet sector so that the market can determine prices and ensure diversity.

Addressing the 40-minute disruption in Grameenphone's 4G services on Wednesday, the BTRC chairman said the commission has officially sought an explanation from the operator.

"They informed us that a technical investigation is underway. Once that is complete, we will share our findings," he said.