Senior Correspondent,
bdnews24.com
Published: 14 Jan 2021 03:06 AM BdST
Updated: 14 Jan 2021 03:06 AM BdST
The number of broadband internet connections in Bangladesh has increased by more than 65 percent in the 10 months of the coronavirus pandemic from March to December 2020. );
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The number of broadband internet connections was 5.7 million in February last year before the onset of the outbreak, according to Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission or BTRC.
The number reached 9.7 million in December after growing much faster than the previous years, as the people hunkered down at home, doing most of the jobs online.
The educational institutions held classes online while many job holders and businessmen held meetings over the internet. Many resorted to online shopping to avoid gatherings.
Mobile phone users reach 17.01cr
BSS
11th January, 2021 08:31:36
The mobile phone subscribers in Bangladesh reached 17.01 crore at the end of December 2020 which was
around 45 lakh higher than in January in the same year.
At the end of January 2020, mobile phone subscribers was 16.56 crore, according to the latest data of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC).
Market leader GrameenPhone topped the tally with 7.90 crore subscribers while Robi bagged 5.09 crore, Banglalink 3.52 crore and lone state-own operator Teletalk able to acquire 49 lakh subscribers.
Besides, the number of internet users in the country has increased to 11.18 crore at the end of December 2020.
The BTRC data showed that about 10.23 crore users use the internet through mobile operators while 95.22 lakh users use the internet through ISP (internet service providers) and PSTN (public switched
Illegal mobile phones to be blocked automatically from July 1: BTRC
Sun Online Desk 8th January, 2021 09:51:43
All the illegal, clone, and fake mobile phone handsets will be automatically blocked from networks starting from July 1.
Shyam Sunder Sikder, chairman of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), said this on Thursday during a press conference in the capital.
“The illegal handsets will be blocked from July 1, but we will not disconnect the ones which are in use now,” he said.
“However, all the new mobile phones will have to be registered before reaching the market.”
“BTRC plans to launch National Equipment Identification Registrar (NEIR) on July 1 this year. No illegal handsets will be allowed to be used in the country’s telecom network after that,” the BTRC chairman said.
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Phones imported before that to be exempted Toggle Desk Toggle Desk
Illegal, unregistered phones will be automatically blocked from networks starting from July 1, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission, BTRC has informed the media on Thursday. However, existing unregistered phones bought before July 1 will not come under this block to make the transition smoother, the newly appointed Chairman of the commission, Shyam Sunder Sikder further informed.
To identify whether a phone is imported legally or illegally, BTRC has entered into a contract with local IT firm Synesis IT. The firm is supposed to come up with a technological platform by June 9 to implement National Equipment Identity Registrar (NEIR), a process that will help identify illegal phones from legal ones.
Committee formed to regulate dissimination of information on social media, OTT platforms
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DHAKA, Dec 23, 2020 (BSS) – The Information Ministry today formed a 15-member committee for formulating policy to regulate dissimination of information on the social media and OTT (Over the Top) platforms.
“A 15-member committee has been formed with the additional secretary (Broadcast) as the president and deputy Secretary (TV-2) as the member secretary,” said a notification of the Ministry of Information.
The other committee members are: the director general (DG) of Bangladesh Television, DG of Bangladesh Betar, DG of the Department of Film and Publications (DFP), managing director of the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC), an appropriate representative of the Department of Posts and Telecommunications Division, a representative of the Department of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), a representative of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission