Robi to invest Tk704 crore for spectrum
Robi's total spectrum reaches 44MHz after the latest procurement
Robi Axiata Limited, the country's second-largest telecom company, will invest around Tk704 crore ($83.91 million) without value added tax (Vat) for spectrum.
The amount will be paid in six installments till 2026, said a disclosure of the company on Wednesday.
The operator has secured 2.6 MHz spectrum from 1800 MHz band and 5 MHz spectrum from 2100 MHz band for five years and seven months from the Radio Frequency Auction-2021.
The auction was arranged by the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) on 8 March.
The per MHz spectrum price from 1800 bands was $31 million while each megahertz's price from 2100 bands was $29 million.
After the latest procurement, Robi's total spectrum will reach 44MHz.
Robi got listed on the stock exchanges in 2020. Last year, the profit of the company rose seven times but it recommended no dividend for the shareholders.
The company said its net profits per share stood at Tk0.33 for 2020, which was only Tk0.04 in 2019.
Robi floated the biggest ever IPO of Tk524 crore and it is the largest listed company in terms of paid-up capital which grew to Tk5,238 crore after the IPO.
The multinational company had sold primary shares at a face value of Tk10 each.