Bangladesh's second and third largest mobile operators have taken opposing positions on when the country's regulator should hold its next E-GSM spectrum auction, exposing a rift within the industry over how quickly additional low-band capacity should come to market.

Banglalink and Robi are split over the auction timeline, according to a report in The Daily Star, with the two operators failing to reach a common front on whether the sale of E-GSM band spectrum should proceed now or wait.

The disagreement matters because of how Bangladesh assigns spectrum. The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) typically allocates frequencies through auctions, and operators' positions on timing shape when the regulator can move. A unified industry stance usually accelerates the process; a split gives the regulator room to delay or impose its own schedule.

The E-GSM band, which sits just below the standard GSM 900 MHz range, is prized by mobile operators because its propagation characteristics allow wider coverage from fewer sites, particularly in rural areas and inside buildings. For operators in a price-sensitive market like Bangladesh, additional low-band spectrum is one of the cheapest ways to expand network capacity and improve service quality without densifying the grid.

The divide between Banglalink and Robi also reflects their different competitive positions. The two operators trail market leader Grameenphone in subscribers, and each has its own calculation of whether an immediate auction — with the fees and financial commitments it entails — strengthens or weakens its standing. An operator with spare capacity has an incentive to wait; one whose network is congesting has an incentive to bid sooner.

Spectrum pricing has been a persistent point of friction between Bangladeshi operators and the BTRC in previous assignments, and the timing question now in dispute will interact with those same cost considerations once a sale is scheduled.

The BTRC has not yet indicated when it will respond to the operators' divergent positions or set a date for the E-GSM auction, leaving the timeline for the sale — and the capacity relief it would bring — unresolved for now.