Since 1994, the BTRC has issued PSTN licenses to 14 operators at different times. However, over time, none of these operators, except for the state-owned telecommunications company BTCL, are active anymore.

According to sources from BTRC and the companies, Integrated Service Limited was the first to be granted the PSTN license in 1994. The others were given the license later. Those involved say that the once business-friendly PSTN eventually became completely unprofitable due to the operators’ long involvement in various illegal activities and the BTRC's wrong decisions. Except for BTCL, no other operator has provided services for over a decade. Many operators still owe money to the government.

PSTN is essentially a circuit-switched telephone network, which is known in the country as landline phones. National, regional, or local telephone operators operate this service. It is the traditional form of telephone service. The service uses GSM technology to transmit analog voice data.

According to sources from BTRC, the commission has issued PSTN licenses in different categories at different times. There are six nationwide PSTN operators, seven regional PSTN operators, and one rural PSTN operator. Currently, only BTCL is active among these operators.

Other operators are conducting no activities.

The private sector PSTN license holders are Teli Barta Limited, Ranks Telecom Limited, National Telecom Limited, Peoples Telecom Limited, Dhaka Telephone Company Limited, WorldTel Bangladesh Limited, BanglaPhone Limited, Westec Limited, Onetel Communication Limited, SA Telecom System Limited, Nextel Telecom Limited, Jalalabad Telecom Limited, and Integrated Services Limited.

When asked, a telecommunications expert, Mustafa Mahmud Hossain, told Bonik Barta, "At one point, PSTN operators expanded their business here, but later, no one except BTCL was seen doing business. Many of their licenses have expired. BTRC has also canceled some licenses. Many PSTN operators did not focus on business growth. They shifted their focus to VOIP services. As a result, the PSTN business did not grow much. However, Internet Protocol Telephony Service Providers (IPTSP) are now experiencing good growth."

Mahmud Hossain said, "There were some issues with PSTN. On the one hand, the telephones couldn't be used for roaming. They couldn't be moved from one place to another. They couldn’t be carried. On the other hand, the cost was also high. Because of this, PSTN operators could not become profitable. Among them, BTCL and RanksTel have performed the best."

BTRC states that the operators have not been conducting business activities long. As a result, the charges for the spectrum allocated to them remain unpaid. According to the information provided by the commission's finance, accounting, and revenue departments, BTRC does not have financial information regarding BTCL, the national PSTN license holder. The license of Jalalabad Telecom Limited, a regional PSTN operator, has been canceled due to the commission's non-payment of dues.

An official of BTRC said, "Legal advice was sought to cancel the licenses of some companies, and the legal department was asked to send it to the licensing branch. Among them, three nationwide, six regional, and one rural operator licensing activities are not active. They have not submitted any reports, fees, or charges during this time. At the same time, they are not rolling out their networks. As a result, the purpose of issuing their licenses is not being fulfilled."

Although the PSTN operator companies blame BTRC for their businesses' closure, Asif Rabbani, the Managing Director of Onetel Limited, told Bonik Barta, "PSTN operators generally used the 800 MHz band spectrum. This spectrum made it possible to cover a larger area with fewer towers. In 2010, a letter from BTRC took this spectrum away from PSTN operators. After that, we were allocated the 1800 MHz band spectrum."

The Managing Director of Onetel further said, "In 2010, Onetel had nearly 50,000 live customers. However, with one decision from BTRC, our entire business was shut down that day. A lot of money was invested, and the change in spectrum meant that I had to replace all my technology across the country. Where would I get the money to invest in that? For this reason, all our PSTN operator services have been shut down."

According to relevant sources, BTRC has formed a committee to decide on PSTN issues. This five-member committee, chaired by the Commissioner of BTRC's Engineering and Operations Department, will recommend making PSTN services more effective and sustainable.