IPTSP Operators in Bangladesh: Who Can Legally Issue a 096 Number

Every legal IP phone number in Bangladesh traces back to one of a limited set of companies holding an IPTSP (Internet Protocol Telephony Service Provider) license from BTRC. If you are about to buy a business number, the single most useful check you can make is whether the number comes from one of them. This article explains what the license means, how to read a 096 number, how to verify a provider, and where IPCallBD sits in that picture.

What an IPTSP license actually is

BTRC (Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission) regulates every kind of voice service in the country. Mobile operators hold cellular licenses, BTCL runs the fixed network, and IP telephony is its own category with its own license. An IPTSP licensee is allowed to:

• Issue telephone numbers in the 096 range to subscribers
• Interconnect with Grameenphone, Robi, Banglalink, Teletalk, and BTCL so calls go through
• Carry voice over the internet to and from those networks

Nobody else can do this. A company that sells you a “VoIP number” without a license behind it is either reselling a licensee’s number (fine, if disclosed) or operating illegally (not fine, and BTRC does shut these down, taking the number with them).

If you are new to the topic, what an IP phone number is and how to get one covers the basics first.

How to read a 096 number

IP telephony numbers in Bangladesh follow one format:

096 XX NNNNNN

• 096 marks it as an IP telephony number (the way 017, 018, and 019 mark mobile operators).
• XX identifies the licensed operator. Each IPTSP holds its own two-digit block, so 09612 and 09678 belong to different companies.
• NNNNNN is the subscriber number inside that block.

In practice this means you can tell which licensee stands behind any business number from its first five digits, and you can tell at a glance whether a provider’s numbers come from one operator or several.

Operators commonly listed as licensees

BTRC publishes the licensee list on its own website as a PDF titled “List of Licensees for Internet Protocol Telephony Service Provider”. The list changes as licenses are issued, renewed, or cancelled, so treat anything you read elsewhere, including this page, as a pointer to that document rather than a substitute for it.

Names that appear on the published lists and that you will recognise from the market include BTCL’s own IP service, Link3, Amber IT, ADN Telecom, BDCom, Agni Systems, MetroNet, and Royal Green Online, among others. Many licensees are also large ISPs, which is why your internet provider may offer an IP number as an add-on.

IPCallBD is a service provider, not a licensee. We issue numbers through four BTRC-licensed IPTSP operators: Ranks ITT, Icon Infotech, Royal Green Online, and Sarkar Communication. The corporate IP number page explains what we add on top: the cloud PBX that turns one number into many extensions, the IVR, recording, the billing portal, and support.

How to verify a provider in two minutes

Do this before paying any provider, including us.

1. Ask for the operator’s name. A legitimate provider will tell you immediately which licensee issues its numbers. Hesitation is the answer.
2. Open the BTRC licensee list. Search for “BTRC IPTSP licensee list” and open the PDF on btrc.gov.bd. Find the operator by name.
3. Match the prefix. Ask for a sample number the provider has already issued and check that its 096XX block is consistent with that operator. The same block should show up on the provider’s own hotline.
4. Check the paperwork. A licensed operator must verify every subscriber. If a provider offers to activate a number with no NID and no trade license, that is a red flag, not a convenience. See which documents are needed.
5. Make a test call. Call the provider’s number from a mobile. It should connect quickly and show the 096 number as caller ID on a call back.

Why the operator behind your number matters

The license determines three things you will live with for years:

Reliability is the part people underestimate. A hotline that fails to connect one call in ten is losing you customers silently. Interconnection quality is also why we use more than one operator: it lets us place your number where the routing to your customers’ networks is best.

Operator vs provider: who do you actually deal with?

For most businesses the licensee is invisible. You deal with a provider like IPCallBD for everything: choosing a number, the Cloud PBX plan, recharging with bKash or Nagad, call recordings, and support on WhatsApp. The operator’s role is to hold the number block, verify your identity, and carry the call to the mobile network.

The relationship looks like this:

• BTRC licenses the operator.
• The operator issues your 096 number and connects it to the mobile networks.
• IPCallBD runs the PBX, extensions, IVR, recordings, billing, and support on top of that number.
• You use it on IP phones or the Zoiper app, from any location.

Monthly plans start at ৳500 with the number included. Calls are 35 paisa plus 15% VAT per minute, billed per second, and incoming calls are free. The pricing page has the full table.

Can you move a number between operators?

Mobile number portability exists in Bangladesh, but IP telephony numbers are tied to the operator’s 096XX block, so a number cannot move from one licensee to another. What you can do is move between providers that use the same operator, or keep your number while changing PBX features with your current provider. Plan for this: choose a provider you expect to stay with, and get the number registered in the business’s name, not an employee’s.

FAQ

How many IPTSP operators are there in Bangladesh?

BTRC has issued IPTSP licenses to a few dozen companies over the years, but not all are active. The current list is published by BTRC as a PDF on its website, and that document is the only authoritative source.

Is IPCallBD an IPTSP licensee?

No. IPCallBD is a business communication provider that issues numbers through four BTRC-licensed operators: Ranks ITT, Icon Infotech, Royal Green Online, and Sarkar Communication. We run the cloud PBX, portal, and support on top of those numbers.

What does the prefix 096 mean?

096 is the number range BTRC assigns to IP telephony in Bangladesh. The next two digits identify the licensed operator, and the remaining six digits are the subscriber number.

Can an ISP give me an IP number?

Yes, if the ISP holds an IPTSP license or resells a licensee’s numbers. Several large ISPs are licensees. Check the ISP’s name against the BTRC list the same way you would check any provider.

Is a 096 number legal for advertising and invoices?

Yes. A number issued by a licensed operator and registered to your business is a legal business telephone number. You can print it on signboards, invoices, packaging, and ads.

Related Articles

• IP phone number in Bangladesh: how to get one
• Documents and registration for an IP number
• Hotline number for business in Bangladesh