The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has initiated a drive to recover outstanding revenue dues from International Internet Gateway (IIG) companies, as the regulator intensifies efforts to ensure compliance with revenue-sharing rules. 26 Companies Owe Tk 139 Crore: Out of 32 licensed IIG companies, as many as 26 reportedly owe a combined Tk 139.06 crore in dues to the BTRC. The largest portion of this debt-Tk 56.23 crore-is owed by state-owned Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited (BTCL), according to the commission's latest review. The figures were determined based on revenue-sharing calculations for undisclosed downstream bandwidth as of the March 2025 quarter.
BTRC Plans Punitive Measures: In a recent meeting, the regulator decided to take punitive action against six companies that have consistently failed to clear their dues. While details of the measures were not disclosed, officials indicated they could range from restrictions on operations to legal action if payments are not made within the stipulated time. A BTRC official said: "As a government organisation, BTRC is collecting dues as per regulations. Letters have been issued accordingly, and further action will be taken as per the law if payments are not made on time."
Technical Audit to Address Data Gaps: The commission also acknowledged that complete revenue data from most IIG operators-from the time they obtained licenses until 2015-is unavailable. To address this, the BTRC has decided to conduct a technical audit to determine actual revenue shares up to December of that year.Officials believe the audit will help eliminate ambiguities and provide a clearer basis for collecting outstanding dues.IIGs Dispute BTRC's Claim: However, industry insiders argue that the BTRC's revenue claims are inflated due to a mismatch between upstream and downstream bandwidth data.
One senior executive of an IIG company told Daily Industry: "What BTRC claimed based on the mismatch of upstream and downstream bandwidth is not fair. The discrepancy arises from overlapping of data between one month and another. If the calculations are properly reviewed, the actual dues will be much lower."
The IIG Forum is scheduled to hold a meeting on Sunday to discuss the issue and decide on a collective response to the regulator's claims.
Previous Bandwidth Supply Issues: The dispute over payments is not new. Earlier, Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company Limited (BSCCL) halted the supply of over 500 Gbps bandwidth to several IIG operators after they failed to pay nearly Tk 360 crore in dues.
Complex Internet Supply Chain in Bangladesh: In Bangladesh, international internet bandwidth enters the country through submarine cables and international terrestrial cable (ITC) operators. It is then distributed by Nationwide Telecommunication Transmission Network (NTTN) operators to mobile and broadband providers, who finally deliver services to end-users. 
This layered system often leads to disputes between operators and the regulator over usage data and revenue-sharing obligations.
Official Comment: The Daily Industryb Correspondent tried to connect by cell phone the impact-official Shazeda Parvin - Director (Finance Accounts & Revenue) at BTRC, but she did receive the phone call of the correspondent. 
While the BTRC maintains that it is acting strictly according to law, IIG operators are pushing for a review of the calculations, claiming that correcting technical discrepancies would significantly reduce the outstanding amount. With tensions growing, industry observers say the outcome of the IIG Forum's meeting and the BTRC's follow-up actions will determine whether the issue moves toward resolution or further confrontation.