GP fined Tk 2.67cr for illegal towers in border areas

The telecom regulator has decided to impose a fine of Tk 2.67 crore on Grameenphone for establishing several mobile phone towers in border areas without its approval.

In a meeting last week, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) decided to slap the fine on the market leader.

GP has been accused of setting up 17 towers within three kilometres of the zero line between January 2014 and December 2016.

A BTRC official yesterday said a letter would be sent to the operator next week instructing it to pay the fine.

“We are very clear in this position and there will be no way to evade the fine,” said a commissioner who attended the meeting.

The fine is based on the estimated earnings from the towers, said the senior official.

In a statement yesterday, GP said, “We are not aware of such a decision by the BTRC and so we can't comment further at this point in time.” In August last year, the regulator fined Banglalink Tk 17.30 crore for installing 109 towers in border areas without consent. The third-largest operator is yet to pay the fine and has applied to the regulator and sought a waiver.

 In a report placed at last week's meeting, the BTRC said the operators were earning more from border areas than their adjacent districts.

GP operates about 354 towers in the border areas and shares another 13 towers with other operators. The regulator found Banglalink and Airtel, which has recently merged with Robi, guilty of the same offence in 2013.

It gave them permission retrospectively and warned they would be fined if found guilty of the same offence again, according to the telecom watchdog's officials.

Airtel's 191 towers and Banglalink's 505 towers received retrospective approval at the time.

Subsequently, the commission also decided not to impose any fine on the operators for towers set up before 2013 and the fine would be applicable for towers installed after January 2014.

Officials said Robi, the second-largest operator, has also set up some towers in border areas without permission and the issue was also placed before the commission. A decision on Robi will come shortly.