Since mobile phone operators cannot import smart phones, they go into a separate agreement with phone importers and attach sets with special offers.
However, there’s no policy in this regard, only some conditions of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Board, BTRC.
These co-branding conditions only apply to handsets and USB modems. BTRC senior assistant director, Zakir Hossain Khan, says: “these conditions were made to ensure greater facilities for mobile users.”
These conditions ensure that subscribers’ rights are not hampered, he added.
“In such systems, the latest phones can reach the user through the mobile company.”
Bangla Link’s head of corporate affairs, Taimur Rahman, told Bangla Tribune: “since we cannot import hand phones, we were given the chance to resort to co-branding, through which we can sell phone sets.”
Chief executive of Xaomi phone, head of Solar Electro, Dewan Kanan, says: “this is a lucrative initiative for the subscriber because they get SIM, Internet, talk time with the set.”
Motorola’s director, Shakib Arafat, says: “last September, Motorola co-branded with Robi and launched three new smart phones.”
BTRC’s co-branding conditions say: SIM cannot be locked in smart phone or modem; no operator logo can be used, mobile brand has to be clearly visible, phone must have smart phone apps, no apps can be offered for money and there has to be a system to erase unwanted apps, smart phone must have minimum 1 GB, WITH 16 GIGA rom, and can be offered at a minimum of six installments.