----- Original Message -----
From: Hakikur Rahman <hakik@sdnbd.org>
To: <asia-ir@list.jinbo.net>
Sent: Saturday, April 05, 2003 3:06 PM
Subject: [asia-ir] Bangladesh Govt withdraws restrictions on Internet phone
> FYI.
>
> April 03, 2003
>
> Bangladesh Govt withdraws restrictions on Internet phone
>
> In a milestone decision in the country's nascent ICT history, the
> government withdrew restrictions from voice over Internet protocol
> (VOIP) in private sector, which would provide the easiest means of
> telecommunications.
>
> A decision to this effect was taken in the fourth meeting of the
> National Task Force on ICT (Information Communication Technology) at
> the PM office with Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in the chair, official
> sources said.
>
> Authorities have been asked to finalize within two months the
> procedure of providing licenses for VOIP facilities to private firms
> to enable people to talk through the Internet telephony.
> Internet telephony drastically cuts down national and international
> telecommunications costs, thus giving business and development
> efforts a tremendous thrust.
>
> Country's ICT experts welcomed the major decision that they said
> would open up new windows for ICT business bringing more and more
> foreign exchanges.
>
> One such window will be setting up call centers in Dhaka linking up
> international organizations. So far, India is dominating the
> business through linking its stations in Bangalore and Goorgaon.
>
> Explaining the call-center business, an expert said if anybody wants
> to know something about British Airways over telephone, he gets an
> access to Bangalore where an Indian will let him know.
>
> The international organizations set up such call centers in India
> where salary is lower compared to European countries or USA. There
> is no problem connecting anybody with the centers through VOIP.
>
> Replying to a query whether the VOIP will decrease revenues coming
> from international telephone calls, the experts replied in the
> negative. Rather, revenues will increase other ways, they added.
>
> Prof Muhammad Yunus, a pioneer in developing ICT in the country and
> a member of the ICT Taskforce, hoped now private sector would be
> able to exploit the opportunity of VOIP and the illegal operation
> would stop.
>
> The age-old British-period rules had barred VOIP operation in the
> country. But already it became popular, although illegal, as VOIP
> counts less costs for international calls.
>
> To exploit the opportunity of VOIP, India had earlier amended its
> rules and opened VOIP for private-sector operation that brought huge
> amounts of foreign exchange for Bangladesh's next-door neighbor.
>
> Experts said the VOIP should not have been considered as illegal as
> it's also a "packet" like data transfer "packet" for the software
> firms of the country.
>
> --UNB
>