ISLAMABAD, Oct 29: The Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) and Bangladesh Telecom (BT) have agreed to exchange expertise in telecom sector.

According to a press release, a two-member delegation of Bangladesh Telecom, comprising Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) vice chairman F. Q. Farooq and BTRC commissioner Rezaul Haq, called on the PTCL chairman, Akhtar Ahmad Bajwa, on Tuesday and discussed cooperation prospects between the two organizations.

The chairman briefed the delegation about the role of the PTCL and impending challenges posed by deregulation of the telecom sector on the conclusion of the PTCL’s monopoly over basic telephone by the end of this year.

He, however, told the delegation that the PTCL was fully prepared to cope with the deregulation challenges.

The chairman underlined the steps taken by the company to not only retain the existing customers but attract new ones as well.

The PTCL has taken a number of steps to promote information technology in the country, he added.

Mr Bajwa told the delegation that the PTCL was the only company in South Asia, which provide internet services at lowest rates.

He mentioned a couple of bandwidth tariff reductions, which the company had introduced for the promotion of IT.

“The PTCL has invested a handsome amount of $48 million in submarine optic fibre cable system and as many as 220 cities of the country have been connected with the optic fibre system.”

The chairman briefed the delegation about the explosive growth of mobile telephone industry in Pakistan.

He termed the government decision regarding Calling Party Pays (CPP) as wise and in the larger interest of the people.