The country’s top mobile operators are to provide Wi-Fi services for its customer base through collaboration with internet service providers (ISPs) as per Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) directives, Dhaka Tribune said in a report.

Grameenphone, one of the leading mobile operators in the country, has already started its Wi-Fi service “Wi-Fi Blue Zone” around selected areas in the capital.

On June 16, Fiber Optic Network Solutions (FONS) Bangladesh Limited received the permission to start its Wi-Fi service.

On the issue, Monirul Haque, senior manager of FONS, said: “Now, we will start creating hotspots on the basis of areas in Dhaka and Chittagong and search for any mobile operator for using the marketing channel.”

However, though Wi-Fi is a booming trend among the youths, BTRC did not permit the mobile operators to provide the service singularly.

Other ISPs are also receiving permission from BTRC to establish Wi-Fi networks but they have to work with the mobile operators in order to use their marketing and distribution channels and share the network.