Regulator to revoke 33 ISPs' licences

The telecom regulator yesterday sent notices to 33 internet service providers asking them to pay their licence renewal fees within 30 days or face cancellation of the permits.

The licences were awarded between April 2008 and January 2010 and their tenure had expired, according to a notice issued by Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission.

It would be clear violation of the law if the ISPs continue to operate without valid licences, the notice said.

But the ISPs are non-operational now, so the telecom regulator is giving them some time before it cancels the licences once and for all, said Md Sarwar Alam, secretary of BTRC. BTRC had earlier issued a reminder letter to the ISPs but got no response from them.

The telecom regulator cancelled licences of 30 ISPs in June for the same reasons. There are around 500 ISP licenses in three categories.