Agency: Earlier this week, the Druk Holdings and Investment (DHI) Board approved a proposal by the Bhutan Telecom (BT) board on the data rate cut and sent it to the BT board.
The BT board, in turn, has submitted the proposed data cut to the Bhutan InfoComm and Media Authority (BICMA) which needs to give final approval for any rate cuts as per regulations.
It is understood that the BT proposal, instead of being a flat rate cut, is different rates of different data packages with different discounts for those taking different packages.
The average data discount rate is close to the 50% cut that government asked for but not exactly at 50% too.
The two main principles applied by DHI when looking at BT’s proposal is to align with the government’s aim to drive down the cost of data and internet over time in Bhutan, and secondly, at the same time, ensure that BT can provide quality services by ensuring that BT is sustainable.
The proposal to offer different discounts or more data ensures that BT can give discounts and yet earn too. This seems like a delicate balancing act by BT and DHI.
BICMA will have to review the proposal and give the go ahead or not and then BT will submit it to the Gov Tech agency which is talking to BT on behalf of the government.
