No Shortage; 3TB Bandwidth Still Unsold

Bangladesh is preparing to join its fourth submarine cable network as discussions with Singapore progress following a formal proposal sent to the Singaporean Embassy and relevant ministries. However, amid ongoing talks, debates and concerns have emerged surrounding the country’s bandwidth shortage and the privately run submarine cable project Bangladesh Private Cable System (BPCS).

Confirming reports of U.S. disapproval of the private project, Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser on Posts, Telecommunications, and ICT Affairs, stated, “The U.S. objection over the private submarine cable is true, though not officially expressed. They have informally advised that Bangladesh should not connect with any untrusted cable. We are equally concerned about this.”

He further remarked, “We will not take any step that triggers geopolitical tension. I cannot put the Foreign Ministry at risk for a single license from my ministry.”

Dismissing fears of a bandwidth crisis, Md. Almas Hossain, Managing Director of Bangladesh Submarine Cables PLC (BSCPLC), clarified that through the SEA-ME-WE 4 and SEA-ME-WE 5 cables, BSCPLC currently has a combined capacity of around 7,200 Gbps. Of this, 4,200 Gbps is already being supplied domestically, while another 3,000 Gbps remains available for use. “Technological enhancements can further increase capacity based on demand,” he said, adding that roughly 3 Tbps of bandwidth remains unused at present.

Sources indicate that nearly 70 percent of Bangladesh’s total international bandwidth—around 5,000 Gbps—is delivered by global content delivery networks (CDNs) such as Google, Facebook, and Akamai, currently routed through edge data centers in India. Establishing such centers within Bangladesh could drastically reduce dependency on India and save roughly BDT 700 crore annually, equivalent to BDT 60 crore per month in import costs.

Almas Hossain further alleged that “a certain quarter is using the false pretext of a bandwidth shortage to justify connecting Bangladesh to untrusted submarine cables.” He warned that such connections could “jeopardize the country’s emerging technology sector,” noting that nations like the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and France have informally raised similar concerns.

Three companies—Summit Communications, Metacore, and CdNet—were granted individual submarine cable licenses in 2022. They later formed a consortium, Bangladesh Private Cable System (BPCS), to jointly pursue commercial benefits. The consortium’s submarine cable, SIGMAR (Singapore–Myanmar), is being constructed by China-based Huawei Marine Networks (HMN), which lies at the center of U.S. objections. According to officials, Washington has repeatedly expressed informal reservations, labeling the Chinese-led technology as “untrusted.”

In fact, U.S. representatives have met multiple times with the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology and the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), urging them not to proceed with the Huawei-backed project.

When asked for comment, Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb responded, “Those facing allegations of smuggling, murder, or bank fraud in the country or in court make the ministry uncomfortable to even discuss their proposals. We urge them to engage with trusted cables instead of controversial ones. I believe no one will go for unsecured networks.”

According to the Internet Service Providers Association of Bangladesh (ISPAB), the country’s international bandwidth demand will reach 13,843 Gbps by 2026, with around 10,000 Gbps—or 70 percent—expected to be CDN-based. If edge data centers are established domestically, the state-owned SEA-ME-WE 4 and SEA-ME-WE 5 cables could meet next year’s demand, while the under-construction SEA-ME-WE 6 and the proposed fourth cable would be sufficient to meet future requirements and even export bandwidth.

Sources added that China-based companies had initially shown interest in SEA-ME-WE 6, but Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company later withdrew due to U.S. security objections. Despite offering lower costs, the Chinese firms were excluded on national security grounds. The 16-nation consortium implementing SEA-ME-WE 6 also rejected Huawei’s participation, citing espionage allegations.

However, as the entire private cable project is Huawei-dependent, U.S. authorities have voiced strong objections, warning that it could lead to future service restrictions or sanctions.

Currently, Bangladesh sources its internet bandwidth from two primary channels—terrestrial and submarine cables. Although there is no cap on imports, roughly 60 percent of total demand is met through international terrestrial cables (ITCs) via Benapole, importing bandwidth from India—a practice ongoing for over a decade under the Sheikh Hasina government. To reduce dependency, the government last year decided to cap bandwidth imports from India at no more than 50 percent of the total national requirement.