HC asks mobile operators to ensure quality network system

The High Court (HC) on Sunday directed the country's mobile telecom operators to ensure crystal clear voice call quality, fast internet service and stable network.

The High Court bench of Justice Mamnoon Rahman and Justice Khandaker Diliruzzaman passed the order with a rule after hearing a writ petition filed
in this regard.

The court simultaneously constituted a five-member monitoring committee to oversee the activities of the complaint cell of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) for speedy solution of mobile network and mobile internet related issues, and customer complaints.

The committee members included secretaries to the ICT Division and Posts and Telecommunications Division of the Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Ministry, BTRC Chairman, one teacher from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) and one representative from the Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh (MTOB), an organisation of the mobile phone operators.

The committee has been asked to submit a report to the court within 30 days from the date of receiving the court order.

In the rule the High Court asked the respondents to explain in four weeks as to why their inaction in ensuring crystal clear voice, fast internet service and stable network should not be declared illegal and as to why the respondents should not be directed to withdraw the time-frame for data pack service allowing the subscribers to use the purchased data until full consumption.

A total of seven people -- including Posts and Telecommunications Secretary, BTRC Chairman, Grameenphone's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Yasir Azman, Robi's CEO Mahtab Uddin Ahmed, Banglalink's Chief Executive Officer Erik Aas and Teletalk's CEO Md Shahab Uddin --have been made respondents.

Supreme Court lawyer Saifur Rahman Rahi, who is the customer of all the four mobile phone operators, filed the petition as a public interest litigation.