Is the whole internet system dependent on a building? 

Do you recall the July 2024 internet outage that affected all of Bangladesh? Does anyone know how this blackout occurred, or are you just curious about the idea that a nation's whole internet infrastructure is dependent on a single structure? How correct it is! Yes, we are talking about the Mohakhali Khawaja Tower.

People learned that on July 18, the disaster management building was set on fire and that Khawaja Tower, which is next to it, had internet provider equipment.

This news, along with the suspension of broadband Internet access, ultimately resulted in the shutdown of internet connections nationwide. However, on July 20, after inspecting the Khawaja Tower, it became evident that it had yet to be set on fire.

More than one building can only support part of the internet infrastructure. ICT specialists claim that the internet system functions in several modules, including hub-and-spoke, ring, and star topologies. Even if one module is closed, all of its connections are still open.

As a result, even if a fire starts in an apartment or other place, the issues will only affect that particular building or area. There will still be other active connections.

According to recent claims made by the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology, the Mohakhali fire caused damage to the data centre and transmission lines as well as a disturbance in the nation's ability to regulate the supply of internet across the nation.

Several parties have asserted that Khawaja Tower and the surrounding structures serve as the hub for these transmission and data centres. Even still, ICT specialists find it hard to believe that the country's internet management was halted as a result of the transmission cable and data centre burning in the Mohakhali area.

Last year, on October 27, a fire event that occurred in the Khawaja Tower amid the political instability surrounding the BNP's grand rally caused nationwide internet disruptions the previous year.

Internet service gradually slowed down across the nation after this occurrence. A news conference on Sunday at the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) also mentioned that "Miscreants have disconnected the internet and dish connection where the underground cable connects to the pop-up."

Several organizations, including BTCL, Summit Communications, PGCB, and Bangladesh Railway, have created a countrywide optical fibre network covering 105,871 kilometres.

Of this network, approximately 15,222 kilometres are underground, with the remaining portion consisting of overhead and switching fibres. Therefore, experts say it is impossible for this facility to cause a network interruption in one place and affect the entire nation. 

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