A BTRC licence in Bangladesh is required before almost any business can build a telecom network, sell internet or voice services, carry international traffic or operate towers and fibre. The licensing map is being redrawn: a 2025 reform policy collapses more than twenty legacy licence types into a handful of categories, and the details were still being revised in 2026.

What a BTRC licence in Bangladesh covers

The Bangladesh Telecommunication Act 2001 established the BTRC as the sector regulator and made licensing its central tool. Providing a telecommunication service, operating a telecom system or using radio spectrum generally requires a licence, registration or permission from the Commission. Operating without one exposes the business and its officers to fines, seizure of equipment and criminal liability.

Each BTRC licence in Bangladesh sets out the services the holder may provide, the geographic area, the term, fees and revenue sharing, technical and quality obligations, lawful interception duties and restrictions on transfer. It is personal to the licensee: it cannot be sold or transferred, and a change in ownership often requires prior approval.

Licensing, spectrum and equipment are separate

Three different permissions are often confused. A service licence authorises the business. A spectrum or frequency assignment authorises use of radio frequencies, from mobile bands to microwave links and two-way radios. Type approval or a no-objection certificate covers importing and using telecom equipment. A wireless project may need all three.

Recent reforms to the telecom framework

Telecom regulation has changed more since 2024 than in the previous decade. Anyone applying for or relying on a BTRC licence in Bangladesh should understand three developments, because each changes what the licence is worth.

The 2025 licensing policy

The Telecommunications Network and Licensing Policy took effect on gazette publication in September 2025 and formally ended the International Long Distance Telecommunication Services (ILDTS) Policy 2010. Its aim is to remove layers of intermediary licences that raised costs, and to move towards technology-neutral licences that let operators offer bundled services.

As reported at the time, the policy capped foreign ownership at 85% for mobile operators, 65% for infrastructure companies and 49% for international connectivity providers, with three years for existing companies to comply. It also required mobile operators to connect half their towers to fibre within 18 months and 80% within three years.

The 2025 amendment to the Telecommunication Act

In December 2025 the interim government's advisory council approved the Bangladesh Telecommunication (Amendment) Ordinance 2025. It returned most licensing decisions to the BTRC, leaving only nationally important licences for ministry approval, shortened decision times, reduced some penalties, required regular public hearings and added appeal and arbitration routes. Later reporting refers to the amended Act as of 2026, but confirm the current text, as Parliament reviewed interim ordinances in April 2026.

The revised 2026 draft

In May 2026 the BTRC sent a revised draft of the licensing policy to the Posts and Telecommunications Division. Reported changes include renaming the national infrastructure licence as a Tower and Connectivity Service Provider (TCSP) licence, splitting international connectivity into facility-based and non-facility-based licences, roll-out targets for district ISPs, longer 20-year terms for some licences and a foreign ownership limit of up to 80% for several categories. Until the government approves a final version, treat these points as proposals.

Legacy BTRC licence categories

Most operators today hold a BTRC licence in Bangladesh issued under the older framework. Their terms continue until expiry or migration, so they still matter for due diligence and day-to-day compliance.

Because the mapping depends on final guidelines, check each licence's own terms, expiry date and any BTRC migration notice before relying on this table for a transaction.

The new BTRC licence categories in Bangladesh

Under the 2025 policy, a new BTRC licence in Bangladesh falls into one of four licence tiers or a registration tier. The underlying logic is horizontal: one licence per network layer rather than one per service.

Access network licences

These cover operators that serve end users: mobile networks and fixed broadband. Draft guidelines describe cellular mobile and fixed telecom sub-categories, with operators allowed to offer bundled voice, data and digital services and to share passive infrastructure. Small ISPs may be able to operate through enlistment or as resellers under larger licensees, but the revised 2026 draft proposes rules on resellers and district roll-out that industry has criticised.

National infrastructure licences

These cover towers, fibre and transmission networks that are leased to access operators. The goal is shared infrastructure, especially fibre to towers, to cut duplication. The 2026 draft proposes the name Tower and Connectivity Service Provider, with higher fees and longer terms.

International connectivity licences

These cover submarine cables, cross-border terrestrial links, IP transit and international carrier arrangements, replacing the old gateway chain. Ownership limits are tighter for this tier because of national security concerns.

Non-terrestrial network licences

Satellite operators, including low earth orbit internet services, fall in their own category. Satellite internet entered the Bangladeshi market in 2025, which made this tier commercially important.

Registration for telecom-enabled services

Services that ride on licensed networks, such as call centres, SMS aggregation, content and some enterprise solutions, move to registration or are deregulated. This lowers the barrier for technology businesses, though data protection and content rules still apply.

Who can hold a BTRC licence in Bangladesh

A BTRC licence in Bangladesh is issued to a company incorporated in Bangladesh, not to a foreign entity directly. A foreign investor normally incorporates a local company with RJSC, registers with BIDA where relevant and applies through that company. Our guide to company formation in Bangladesh explains the corporate steps.

Foreign ownership limits depend on the category and on which version of the policy is finally applied. The figures reported for the 2025 policy and the 2026 draft differ, so build flexibility into shareholder agreements and investment timetables. Rules on concentration also matter: the amended Act reportedly bars individuals and family members from holding multiple active licences in certain categories.

Security and fit-and-proper checks

BTRC and government agencies carry out background and security checks on sponsors, directors and significant shareholders. Undisclosed nominee arrangements, unclear sources of funds or previous licence cancellations are common reasons for delay or refusal.

How to apply for a BTRC licence

Applications for a BTRC licence in Bangladesh are made through the Commission's online Licence Issuance and Management System (LIMS). The exact documents depend on the category, but the sequence is broadly the same.

1. Identify the category. Confirm which licence, enlistment or registration fits the planned service, and whether BTRC is currently accepting applications for it. BTRC has paused or limited new licences in some categories, such as nationwide ISP licences, at various times.
2. Set up the company. Incorporate locally, align the objects clause with telecom services and structure ownership within the applicable limits.
3. Prepare documents. Gather incorporation papers, shareholder and director details, trade licence, tax and VAT registration, audited accounts or bank solvency, a technical plan, network diagram and business plan.
4. File online and pay. Submit through LIMS and pay the application fee set by the current BTRC schedule.
5. Clear review. Respond to BTRC queries, attend any presentation and allow time for security clearance.
6. Pay licence fees and receive the licence. On approval, pay the acquisition fee and any bank guarantee, then sign or receive the licence and its conditions.

Fees, revenue sharing and financial obligations

A BTRC licence in Bangladesh usually carries an acquisition fee, an annual licence fee, a revenue share paid to BTRC, a contribution to the Social Obligation Fund for some categories, and spectrum charges where frequencies are assigned. Bank guarantees may be required for roll-out and payment obligations.

These amounts vary widely by category and are revised through BTRC decisions and licensing guidelines. The 2026 draft, for example, proposed increasing infrastructure licence fees. Always take figures from the current guidelines and the licence itself, and budget for VAT and late-payment interest, which BTRC enforces strictly.

Ongoing compliance for licensees

Obtaining a BTRC licence in Bangladesh is the start, not the end. BTRC monitors licensees closely and has cancelled hundreds of ISP licences in recent years for non-compliance, including failure to renew or pay fees.

• Renewal. Apply for renewal within the period the licence sets; late renewal can lead to cancellation.
• Payments. Pay annual fees and revenue share on time and file revenue reports.
• Quality of service. Meet quality and coverage benchmarks and consumer complaint handling rules.
• Lawful interception. Comply with interception and data retention requirements under the Act as amended, now subject to the new oversight framework announced in 2025.
• Changes. Seek approval before changes in shareholding, directors, address or network architecture where the licence requires it.
• Equipment. Use type-approved equipment and obtain import clearances.

For a fuller compliance checklist, see our BTRC compliance guide.

Data protection and content

Every holder of a BTRC licence in Bangladesh that serves consumers holds large volumes of subscriber data. Data protection and cyber security law changed by ordinance in 2025, and Parliament passed a new cyber security law in April 2026. The status of the Personal Data Protection Ordinance 2025 after April 2026 should be checked before finalising data policies.

Spectrum, radio and equipment approvals

Many projects need more than a service licence. Mobile operators acquire spectrum through BTRC auctions or assignments, with separate charges and roll-out conditions attached to each band. Microwave backhaul links, satellite earth stations and private radio networks also need frequency assignments.

Ordinary businesses are caught too. A factory, hotel or security company using two-way radios, or an industrial park planning a private wireless network, may need a frequency licence even though it sells no telecom service. Treat this as a separate permission alongside, or instead of, a BTRC licence in Bangladesh for a service.

Type approval and import clearance

Telecom and radio equipment generally needs BTRC type approval or a no-objection certificate before import and use. Customs will hold consignments of routers, base stations, radios and similar equipment without the right clearance. Build the approval time into procurement plans, and keep records of approvals for every model deployed on the network.

Choosing the right category: practical scenarios

The same business idea can fall into different categories depending on how it is built. These scenarios show how we approach the question of which BTRC licence in Bangladesh, if any, a client needs.

A foreign cloud or software company

A company selling software or cloud services over the internet, without owning network infrastructure in Bangladesh, generally does not need a network licence. It may still face registration for telecom-enabled services, VAT registration for digital services and data localisation questions. The answer turns on whether it resells connectivity or only software.

A tower or fibre investor

An investor building towers or fibre for lease to mobile operators falls in the national infrastructure tier. Ownership limits, licence fees and roll-out obligations for that tier are among the points the 2026 draft proposes to change, so investment documents should allow for either outcome.

A satellite internet reseller

A business reselling satellite internet to enterprises must check whether the satellite operator's licence permits resale and whether the reseller itself needs enlistment. Ground equipment and terminals also need type approval.

An enterprise building a private network

A large enterprise connecting its own sites usually leases capacity from licensed operators rather than building its own network. If it plans its own wireless links or private mobile network, frequency licensing becomes the key issue.

Mergers, acquisitions and investment

Deals involving a BTRC licence in Bangladesh need regulatory planning from the start. Because licences are not transferable, acquisitions are structured as share purchases, and BTRC approval for the change in control is usually a condition precedent.

Due diligence should cover each licence's term, fee arrears, pending show-cause notices, spectrum holdings, interconnection agreements and migration status under the reform. Buyers should also check foreign ownership headroom and any concentration restrictions. Our mergers and acquisitions practice supports buyers and sellers in regulated sectors.

Frequently asked questions about btrc licence in Bangladesh

How we can help

We advise operators, investors and technology companies on every stage of a BTRC licence in Bangladesh: licence selection, applications, migration under the new framework, foreign ownership structuring, regulatory approvals for deals and BTRC enforcement. Learn more about our telecommunications practice.

Primary sources: the Bangladesh Telecommunication Act 2001 on the Laws of Bangladesh portal; licensing guidelines and notices from the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission; investment registration through BIDA.

This article is general information about Bangladeshi law as of 2026 and is not legal advice. Telecom policy is in transition; confirm current requirements with BTRC or a qualified lawyer before acting.