Dhaka: The telecom regulator has moved to host quick auction of "3G" of Third Generation cellular phone services to avoid the failure of attaining expected revenue target, said officials.

They said the regulator plans to generate huge revenue by selling spectrum for 3G services to five cellular phone operators, so that it is quickening the process of auction to collect the expected revenue, which is supposed to be deposited to the national exchequer.

Taking to BSS, Sunil Kanti Bose, chairman of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) said that they have already sent letters to the Finance Ministry to approve the floor price for the 3G spectrum quickly.

"We've requested the Finance Ministry to quicken the approval process of floor price for spectrum," he added.

Echoing the regulatory body chairman, telecommunication secretary (In-charge) Abubakar Siddique also told BSS that they are also expecting to host the open action on scheduled time.

"We will hold the 3G action immediately after the approval of floor price by the ministry of finance."

Officials said the 3G auction is taking more time, as the ministry of finance is yet to approve the floor price of per megahertz spectrum, which is sent by the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications last month.

The BTRC had submitted draft guideline on 3G licence to the Telecommunications Ministry on March 28. In the draft guideline, the fee for every megahertz was proposed at US$ 30 million.

Recently, the telecom ministry in a letter to the Finance Ministry proposed US$ 20 million for per megahertz spectrum as the starting price in the 3G spectrum auction early next year, officials said.

The draft guideline was formulated by reserving 50 megahertz spectrum giving 10 megahertz to each of the five operators for the 3G mobile phone services.

Since the bid money for per megahertz spectrum has been proposed to reduce by US$ 10 million, the bid money of the total auction will be reduced by US$ 50 million. Officials said the guideline is expected to be finalized provisionally by this month and the BTRC and others concerned will be notified.

The guideline will be finally endorsed in December. The regulatory body would prepare to host 3G licence auction in January next year. BTRC has already discussed with the stakeholders and experts, including the mobile operators, on the 3G guidelines and the auction process.

Officials said state-owned mobile operator Teletalk will get a licence without participating in the auction, while four local private operators along with the foreign firms will compete for the rest four licences.

Meanwhile Teletalk launched the 3G service on a trial basis. A new horizon was opened up in Bangladesh's telecom sector, after the state-owned mobile phone operator Teletalk on October 14 launched its much-awaited 3G mobile phone service, the first of its kind in the country.

Ends/AMA/13/12/12