State-run Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company Limited on Monday agreed to export 10 Gbps bandwidth to India’s Tripura. The BSCCL signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indian state-owned telecommunication company Bharat Sanchar Nigam on the day, said officials. The four-member BSNL delegation led by its chief general manager DP Singh arrived in Dhaka last week.
BSCCL and posts and telecom ministry officials said Bangladesh quoted around $10 per Mbps for the first year of export.
They said India had been perusing for a bandwidth connectivity from Bangladesh through Akhaura to Agartala point of Assam since 2009 besides the bandwidth import agenda.
They also said India was trying for the connectivity through a mobile phone company but failed to bring any result.
‘I am aware of the MoU for leasing bandwidth to India,’ telecom secretary Abubakar Siddique told New Age on Monday.
When asked if India placed any proposal for transit, he replied, ‘They did not make any such proposal to me. Besides, we are only interested to lease bandwidth, not connectivity or transit.’
Currently, Bangladesh is connected via the SEA-ME-WE-4 with 200 Gbps (88MIU-km) bandwidth and of which, the country uses 32Gbps.
The country is expected to be connected with second submarine cable SEA-ME-WE-5 by the first quarter of 2016 which will increase the total capacity to 1,400 Gbps.
‘We have just signed the MoU with BSNL and quoted our price. The issue will be placed at the BSNL board and we will know their stance by next week,’ BSCCL managing director Monwar Hossain told New Age on Monday.
He said BSCCL would export up to 40 Gbps in next five years with floating price.
‘We will review the price in every year to match the international market and to protect best interest of the country,’ he said.
When asked why India wanted to buy bandwidth from Bangladesh Monwar said India was interested to buy bandwidth from Bangladesh to ensue cost effectiveness.
‘If it brings bandwidth to the North-East India from Mumbai or Chennai, then the distance will be more than 3.000 kilometres, whereas from Bangladesh it will be 500 kilometres,’ he said.
Monwar also said it was beneficial for BSCCL as the company was losing shares in the local market for the International Terrestrial Cables operators.
‘So, it will improve our profitability. At the same time, the SEA-ME-WE-4 cable will expire in next 15 years and its capacity will be of no use,’ he said.
-With New Age input
