The broadband (high-speed) internet is not reaching to everyone in the country due to lack of infrastructure, high transmission cost, customer’s low purchasing power and not increasing new customers. Broadband internet service of our country is mainly Dhaka based. As these four matters are active outside Dhaka, many internet users are deprived of broadband internet service.
If the government doesn’t take initiatives, it will not be possible to reach broadband massively to every area of the country through the private entrepreneurs. Most of the places where broadband has gone, the projects have faced losses. Besides, concerned people think that not updating the broadband policies is a big obstacle behind it. The National Broadband policy-2009 has expired two years ago. The policy was targeted till 2015.
It is learned that though the ICT department of the government has provided fiber optic cable connections to the Upazilas under ‘Info Sarker project-2’ but broadband has not reached in those places. Through this project, connectivity has been made among 18,000 government offices across the country.
ICT department has taken initiatives to establish fiber optic cable connection in 2,600 unions across the country through ‘Info Sarker Project-3’. It is not yet clear when the broadband internet will reach in those areas.
The National Broadband Policy was formulated in the country in 2009. Even after 7 years, the policy has not been updated or revised yet. The policy had three types of goal; short, medium and long-term goals. Although the policy is not updated, the definition of broadband has already changed three times.
Though in the last 8 years the speed of broadband increased from 128 Kbps to 5 Mbps, as the policy is not updated, questions raised about the aims, goals, and achievements of the policy.
Reza Salim Project Director of an ICT4D project Amader Gram (Our Villages) said, ‘Though the broadband policy is not updated, its definition is changing again and again. As a result the root of the policy has not changed yet. So, many of the short, medium and long-term targets of the broadband policy has not been implemented.’ He thinks that it will be possible to implement these if ICT based infrastructures are created.
Currently, the lowest broadband internet speed in Bangladesh is 5 Mbps. However, lower than 5Mbps connection is considered as 'Narrowband' or slow Internet, by the government. According to BTRC statistics, the number of broadband internet users (up to June last) is 46,22,000 and the wireless WiMAX or broadband internet subscribers are 75,000. However, ISPAB, an internet service provider organization does not agree with this statistics. The organization claims that currently, 8 million people use the broadband internet in the country.
Munir Hasan the General Secretary of Bangladesh Open source Network (BDOSN) said, ‘Along with food, cloth, and residence, the broadband internet is now recognized as a fundamental right; because it has the commercial, economic and life-changing ability.’
He said according to the speech of the institutions which are working to supply the broadband internet, there are not sufficient customers to make this sector profitable by developing infrastructures facilities in the district and Upazila areas. This service can be enhanced by creating customers. On the other hand, in the social media, it is seen that young people of the rural areas are waiting eagerly to get broadband connections.
Mentioning these four reasons, Aminul Hakim, the President of the internet provider organization ISPAB said, ‘How broadband will reach to everyone? Broadband can reach to the remote areas if these four reasons are resolved. If infrastructures are created and transmission cost is lessened, the ISPs will take initiatives to reach broadband throughout the country.’
Regarding the initiative taken by his own organization, he said, "We started to provide broadband internet service in Khulna a couple of months ago. We have only 70 customers there. Now we are facing more than TK2 lakh loss every month after investing there a huge amount. The only hope is that the number of subscribers will increase in the future. This is the condition of many ISPs.'
Aminul Hakim said that the speed that the ISPs offer at Tk1000 in Dhaka, outside of Dhaka they are to offer that speed at Tk1800 to Tk2000. In many cases, the amount is more. Besides, there are many other problems. According to him, the cost of transmission (bandwidth transportation cost) is a reason behind the high price of broadband. If transmission cost is lessened by creating sufficient infrastructures, internet service can be provided outside Dhaka at the same price of Dhaka.
