Court case looms over Bangladesh's plans for 700-MHz auction

Details: John Tanner; Category: Regulation; 13 October 2025; 9311 views

The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) is reportedly set to auction off 700-MHz spectrum at the start of next year, although how much spectrum will be available depends on a pending court case, which could impact operator interest in the auction.

According to the Daily Star on Monday, the BTRC aims to make 45 MHz worth of spectrum in the 703- to 803-MHz range available for auction in January 2026 to enable telcos to boost their 4G network capacity and expand 5G coverage.

However, some of that spectrum is tied up because of a legal dispute between the BTRC and broadband provider AlwaysOn Network Bangladesh Ltd, which holds 12 MHz of spectrum in that band.

AlwaysOn was awarded the 700-MHz spectrum in 2007, at which time the band had not been globally harmonised for mobile telecoms services. The BTRC later cancelled the allocation and offered replacement spectrum in the 5-GHz band, but AlwaysOn responded by sueing BTRC over the cancellation, the report said.

The case is currently in front of the Appellate Division, but a hearing date won’t be issued until at least later this month when the court returns from vacation. Until the case is decided, the 12 MHz still belongs to AlwaysOn, the report said.

The BTRC said it has already applied to the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications to proceed with the auction, and intends to offer at least 25 MHz of 700-MHz spectrum in January. If AlwaysOn loses its appeal, the BTRC will offer the full 45 MHz, the report said.

However, the three likely bidders – Grameenphone, Robi Axiata and Banglalink – have said they want the BTRC to release the whole 45-MHz block for auction.

Robi Axiata’s chief corporate and regulatory officer Shahed Alam told the Star that the 700-MHz band is too valuable to be sold off in small chunks, and that fragmented sales could result in slower rural coverage, higher prices and weaker digital inclusion.

Telcos are also unhappy with the current base price of BDT2.63 billion (US$21.6 million) per MHz, which they say is too high and would slow their network expansion plans, the report said.

Taimur Rahman, chief corporate and regulatory affairs officer of Banglalink, urged the BTRC to consider a recent GSMA study that concluded lower spectrum prices could accelerate digital adoption, the report added.

If the auction goes ahead in January, it will be the first major spectrum auction in Bangladesh since 2022, when operators ponied up BDT106.4 billion for spectrum in the 2.3-GHz and 2.6-GHz bands.