Bangladesh’s telecoms regulator plans to issue 4G licences within a month and to hold an auction in four months, which will be open to the country’s four existing mobile players as well a new participant.

Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) is expected to approve technology neutrality for all existing spectrum, which operators have been calling for and some are already prepared to upgrade their networks to 4G, local newspaper The Daily Star reported.

The Prime Minister’s ICT Affairs adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy in a meeting with BTRC last week urged operators to introduce 4G services in the country as soon as possible.

The spectrum price likely will be set 20 per cent higher than the BDT100 million ($1.23 million) per megahertz price for the 3G auction in 2013, a BTRC representative said.

BTRC has 15MHz of unsold spectrum in the 2100MHz band, 10.6MHz in the 1800MHz band and some spectrum in the 900MHz band which came from Airtel after its merger with Robi.

Mobile operators use the 2100MHz band for 3G services and the 900MHz and 1800MHz bands for 2G services.

Market leader Grameenphone welcomed the announcement to move to technology neutrality and hold an auction. Mahmud Hossain, chief corporate affairs officer at Grameenphone, told The Daily Star the operator is looking forward to its quick implementation as it will help improve network quality, particularly indoors.