BSCPLC Breaks Bandwidth Barrier with Record 3.34 Tbps International Traffic

For the first time in Bangladesh’s history, real-time internet traffic carried via international bandwidth has crossed the 3-terabit-per-second threshold, according to Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company PLC (BSCPLC), a state-owned telecom entity listed on the stock exchange. As of April 28, BSCPLC reported handling 3.34 terabits per second (Tbps) in bandwidth. The figure is expected to rise to 3.46 Tbps by the end of this month, according to Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser on Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology.

Taiyeb noted that over the past eight months, BSCPLC’s bandwidth usage has increased by 1.10 Tbps. He also pointed out that during a previous phase under the Awami League government, more than 65% of the company’s capacity had remained unutilized.

In a Facebook post, Taiyeb wrote, “This milestone has been made possible due to the directives and policy support from the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, the dedicated efforts of company management, and several rounds of price reductions. The increasing share of BSCPLC in the total bandwidth usage nationwide has also led to significant revenue growth for the company.”

He further explained that the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has recently revised its licensing guidelines, requiring all International Internet Gateway (IIG) operators to source at least 50% of their bandwidth from submarine links. “To further encourage the use of submarine bandwidth, BSCC is considering offering additional discounts to those IIG operators who exceed the 50% threshold,” he added. He also mentioned upcoming plans to introduce separate internet packages for data centers, cloud service providers, and hyperscalers, beyond the regular discounted bulk packages.

“If the use of submarine bandwidth continues to grow in the country, it will significantly improve internet quality, which still lags far behind global standards. The board and staff of this state-owned company remain committed to enhancing service quality, increasing revenue, and ultimately delivering world-class bandwidth at affordable prices,” Taiyeb concluded. “Even amid many constraints, the right policies can still work. It is possible to increase the earnings of government companies despite limitations.”