BTCL

Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited (BTCL)
State Owned
Industry Telecommunications
Founded 1971 (as BTTB)
July 2008 (as BTCL)
Headquarters 37/E, Eskaton Garden, Telejogajog Bhaban,
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Products Telephone, Fixed Lines, Internet
Website http://www.btcl.gov.bd

BTCL or Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited is the largest telecommunications company in Bangladesh. The company was founded as the Bangladesh Telegraph & Telephone Board (BTTB) following Bangladesh's independence in 1971. On July 1, 2008 the BTTB became a public limited company and was renamed as BTCL.[1] The Bangladesh government initially owned all BTCL shares, but stated it would sell the shares to the public the following year. The value of BTCL is estimated to be at Tk 15,000 crore. BTCL has a total of 12,636 officials and staff.

BTCL provides land-line telephone services in Bangladesh's urban areas, including domestic long-distance calling and international services as well as internet services. In 2004, the Bangladesh Government issued a number of PSTN licenses to private companies, but they were barred from providing services in the lucrative Dhaka market (which accounts for the majority of the nationwide market). The monopoly held by BTCL was broken when other operators started to receive licenses from 2007.

History

Early history

The Telegraph branch under the Posts and Telegraph Department was created in 1853 in the then British India and was regulated afterwards under the Telegraph Act-1885. The Telegraph branch was reconstructed in 1962 in the then East Pakistan as Pakistan Telegraph and Telephone Department.

Post-independence

Old Logo of BTCL, formerly known as BTTB

Following Bangladesh's independence, the Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Department was set up under the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications in 1971. This was converted into a corporate body named 'Telegraph and Telephone Board' by promulgation of Telegraph and Telephone Board Ordinance, 1975. Pursuant to a 1979 ordinance, the Telegraph and Telephone Board was converted into a government board named the Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board (BTTB).

Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited

On 1 July 2008, BTTB transformed to a government-owned Public Limited Company under a new name of Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited BTCL.[2]

Internet Services

BTCL provides dial-up Internet access in all 64 districts of the country, making it the most-accessible Internet service provider in the country. As of January 2009 its total dial-up subscriber is 32,433. Since the beginning of 2007 BTCL have improved its Dial-up Internet service for better customer satisfaction. It also handles the .bd domain.

Recently BTCL has also started providing consumer-level broadband Internet services under the branding of BCUBE. The service is provided through ADSL2+ technology.

BTCL has outsourced its BCUBE sales and customer support to EMEM Systems Ltd, System & Services Ltd (SSL) and Sisview Technologies Ltd. Till now btcl have got about 15,000 customers. BTCL's monthly income about Tk19,000,000 per month from this service.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "BTTB, BSCCL turned into public limited company". The New Nation. 1 July 2008. Retrieved 15 February 2010.
  2. ↑ "BTTB, BSCCL turned into public ltd cos". The New Nation. 1 July 2008. Retrieved 15 February 2010.

External links