Bangladesh to sell bandwidth to Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, Bhutan

Bangladesh has taken an initiative to sell 100 GB/s bandwidth to four countries. The countries are Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam and Bhutan.

To sell bandwidth to Bhutan, Bangladesh is now talking with India. Bhutan will be connected with a 2.5 GB/s line, said a report by http://www.mizzima.com/.

Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company Limited (BSCCL) MD MdMonwar Hossain said a link was built with Myanmar through which the three Southeast Asian nations would use 100 GB/s bandwidth from the submarine cable SEA-ME-WE-4 (South East Asia-Middle East-Western Europe 4).

Myanmar is nearest from the cable, he said.

“Once connected, these three countries will become the biggest market for Bangladeshi bandwidth,” he said.

Bangladesh gets 300 GB/s bandwidth from the 19,000km long SEA-ME-WE-4 cable that connects a large area along the southern edge of the continent. It lands in Bangladesh at Cox’s Bazar.

Only 220 GB/s of this cable’s bandwidth is being used here, and the rest of the 440 GB/s national demand is met by six international terrestrial cable companies who import it from India.

Meanwhile Bangladesh exports 10 GB/s bandwidth to Tripura.

The SEA-ME-WE-5 which landed in Kuakata early this year is not yet in use because back link connectivity has not been built yet.

Once in operation, the cable will provide an additional 1,300 GB/s bandwidth.

State Minister for Telecom Tarana Halim will visit Kolkata to sit down with the authorities of the state-owned Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL), said BSCCL MD Monwar Hossain.

“PGCIL has fibre optic cable links to Bhutan. Bangladesh would like to get the bandwidth to Bhutan through that network,” he said.

Bhutan initially wants 2.5 GB/s bandwidth, which might increase later.

The authorities are considering two points for the cables to be laid, one is Banglabandha in Panchagarh and the other is in Rangpur. The entry point will be finalised at the meeting.

BSCCL sources said India had asked Bangladesh to reduce the price of its bandwidth.

Currently Bangladesh charges India $10,000 per GB/s, and India wants this to be lowered to less than $9,000.

Monwar Hossain said the Indian state telecom company Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited wants a revision of the export deal because according to the deal the price should be reviewed annually, but already 18 months have passed.

“Our proposal is that we will increase bandwidth instead of reducing the payment, thereby maintaining our revenue stream. If they agree we will think about the next step,” he said.-SAA