Bandwidth Boost: ISPs Double Internet Speed Nationwide at Same Price
Amid growing public dissatisfaction over internet costs and frequent call drops, internet service providers (ISPs) across Bangladesh have announced a major upgrade—doubling internet speed from 5 Mbps to 10 Mbps at the existing rate of BDT 500. Furthermore, the speed will reach 20 Mbps starting today.
This announcement was made by Emdadul Haque, President of the Internet Service Providers Association of Bangladesh (ISPAB), during a roundtable discussion on “Challenges, Prospects, and Way Forward for Internet Services in Marginal Areas,” held on Saturday.
“To make 20 Mbps a reality, we need active sharing, a 10-year license tenure, access to IIG and NTTN capacity, use of government infrastructure, and exemption from dividend sharing for five years,” Haque stated.
He added that a Point of Presence (PoP) has already been established in Dhanmondi, where 6,000 customers are receiving services. “Through this system, a user can switch operators within five minutes. It benefits both users and operators—saving power and manpower. If we can reduce costs across the board, we can provide better services,” he said.
Referring to high infrastructure and bandwidth costs, Haque commented, “IIG price should be BDT 120. We’re not getting the benefit of lower IIG rates in broadband. That’s why we’re struggling to reach people’s doorsteps. NTTN transmission cost can be reduced to BDT 5. Still, starting today, we are upgrading existing 5 Mbps services to 10 Mbps at the same BDT 500 price.”
Reflecting on past challenges, Haque noted that previous government projects, including Info-Sarker, excluded ISPs. “There is a price disparity between Dhaka and other regions due to high transmission costs. A revised pricing model is needed involving ISPs, IIGs, and NTTNs.”
He also expressed concern over the unused SOF (Social Obligation Fund), stating, “If we are exempt from contributing to this fund for the next three years, we can achieve our targets. Additionally, new licenses should be issued to allow more players to deliver quality services nationwide. License tenure should be extended to 10 years.”
The roundtable was held at the conference room of the BTRC building in Agargaon, Dhaka, and featured representatives from all segments of the telecom sector. Discussions focused on transmission costs, the pricing of internet bandwidth—the “raw material” of the internet—and technical and policy-related factors affecting service speed.
The event was organized by the Telecom and Technology Reporters Network Bangladesh (TRNB). TRNB General Secretary Masuduzzaman Robin delivered the opening remarks, and Organizational Secretary Al-Amin Dewan presented the keynote.
The session was chaired by TRNB President Samir Kumar Dey and attended by notable industry figures, including Mohammad Zulfikar, Secretary General of the Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh (MTOB); ISPAB General Secretary Nazmul Karim Bhuiyan; Moinul Haque Siddiqui, Chairman of Fiber@Home; ATM Saifur Rahman Khan from Teletalk Bangladesh; Taimur Rahman, Chief Corporate and Regulatory Officer of Banglalink; and Shahed Alam, Company Secretary and Chief Corporate and Regulatory Officer of Robi.
Expert insights were shared by Mustafa Mamun Hossain and Suman Ahmed Sabir.
The event’s chief guest was Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser on the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology. BTRC Chairman Emdadul Bari attended as the special guest.
