The Internet Service Providers Association of Bangladesh- ISPAB has announced shutdown in Bashundhara Residential Area on Sunday (May 21, 2023) demanding withdrawal of irregularity and increased subscription. In the announcement, all ISPs providing internet and data services in the area have been ordered to stop all services for 3 hours from 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm on that day.
Major Md. Enamul Kabir (Retd.) stated that this decision was made in the Executive Committee meeting held at the meeting room of the ISPAB on Thursday (May 18). This announcement was made in a press release sent to the media.
The press release sent earlier had given an advance warning that the Broadband Internet service of Bashundhara residents may be stopped at any time announcing the drastic measures. It was reported there that the field level internet service providers were united by locking the service providers in POP and preventing the field level engineers from working due to dissatisfaction with the ‘service management fee’. ISPAB, the association of Internet service providers, has indicated that it was forced to take such a drastic decision as the problem has gradually turned into a bottleneck without being solved for three years.
Internet service providers facing obstacles to provide services to Bashundhara residents: letter to BTRC
The organization lodged a letter to the telecommunication regulatory body, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission- BTRC after the emergency meeting on May 16.
In the letter, a letter has been attached regarding the decision of Bumblebee, the subscription company, to increase the ‘Operation Service Charge’ for providing internet services to Bashundhara Residential Area from May this year. In that letter, the monthly pop operation service charge for internet service providers has been levied from May amounting 2 lakh to 5 lakh for home users and 60 thousand to 1.5 lakh for corporate connection. In the letter signed by Md Zakir Hossain, the network engineer of the organization, objecting to the decision, it is mentioned that the decision will have an adverse effect on the world-renowned ‘one country, one rate’ policy launched by the Prime Minister’s ICT advisor Sajeeb Wazed Joy and the service providers. But as the letter was not accepted, ISPAB reminded the BTRC by holding an emergency meeting of the Executive Committee on this matter on Tuesday.
According to the letter, in the meantime, service providers in Bashundhara Residential Area have been locked in POPs and technicians have been prevented from entering to provide services. For good reason they are deciding to stop service in that area.
The letter written along with the Chairman of the regulatory body and signed by the Chief Executive Officer of the organization Major Md. Enamul Kabir (retd) has been attached to the director general of E&O, SS department, NTTN, IIG, ITC and all ISPs.
Bumblebee, from Cable TV Operator into Internet Business
In the name of POP service charge, the cable TV operator Bumblebee has increased the service charge to Bashundhara Residential Area from 5 thousand to 2 lakh taka per month in phases within three years. The company is monopolizing internet service in that area even though it is not a member of the internet service provider’s association. The general service providers were forced to pay a service charge of Tk. 5,000 till 2020, but in 2021, the charge was raised 6 times to Tk. 30,000. In June of that year, a meeting was also held at the BTRC with the two parties. But as the meeting was not fruitful, Bumblebee forced to pay a security deposit of 20 lakhs along with a subscription of 2 lakhs in 2022 without solving the problem. As a result, 33 out of 50 service providers closed their business at that time. Then the subscription increased from this May to 5 lakhs, the rest also refrained from donating their services and approached the organization. They have now raised the demand to ensure a balanced position of business in the spread of smart connectivity in building Smart Bangladesh.
