Mobile operators strongly support effective launch of MNP service

DHAKA, March 20 (NsNewsWire) — The following is the full and unedited text of an Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh (AMTOB)  statement issued here on Tuesday: “It has come to our notice in recent times that some media
reports have accused the mobile operators of slowing down the process of launching MNP service in Bangladesh. We categorically state that such accusations are utterly baseless and misleading to a great extent. As a customer-centric industry, mobile network operators (MNO) are indeed very keen to facilitate their customers in choosing the operator of their choice through availing the MNP service; just like many other
countries of the world, we strongly believe that our customers deserves to enjoy this freedom. MNP is a very complex process in which customers’ transactions are involved. Just to
elaborate on the level of complexity involved, we would like to highlight that Bangladesh is probably the only country in the world to have nearly 60 gateways (Interconnection exchange, International Gateway, International Internet Gateway) and many other Access Network Service operators (Mobile Operators, IPTSPs, BWA operators, PSTN operators, etc.). In this regard, considering the complexity of existing
telecommunications network involving a plethora of stakeholders in the whole value chain, we must ensure that all these entities are properly integrated.
A working committee of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission, mobile operators and the MNP Licensee are working together to finalize a consumer-
friendly MNP process. Therefore, once the workable MNP process is finalized, the MNP Licensee in collaboration with all the related stakeholders shall be able to launch
the service within a significant reasonable timeframe for making the porting service up and running.
The timeline is necessary for planning, designing and development the internal core, IT and other equipment, platform for MNP and testing. It must be noted that all operators
need to get confirmation on the porting mechanism of this service for them to start the activities. Unfortunately, the mobile operators are yet to be intimated of such pre-
requisite arrangement. The mobile operators have all along been stressing on the need to address this issue in order to facilitate smooth implementation of MNP service.

The telecom industry strongly believes that service quality-based considerations should be the key driving factors in promoting healthy market competition among the
operators. In this connection, the industry is relentlessly working and wholeheartedly cooperating with all the stakeholders involved in order to facilitate the launch of MNP
in the country for their valued customers.”