Steps have been taken to make internet affordable: Telecom Minister

In order to meet the challenges of digital technology, efforts have been made to make the internet affordable and accessible, and to bring smart phones to the common people at the lowest price, said the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, Mustafa Jabbar. He said, we have already introduced ‘one country, one rate’ for using internet. Mobile phones produced in the country have already achieved the capacity to meet 96 percent of domestic demand. The minister said so, while speaking in the opening ceremony of the session titled 'Resilient Internet for a Shared Sustainable and Common Future: Access and Connectivity, Community Networks, Capacity Development and Digital Inclusion' organized by Bangladesh Internet Governance Forum (BIGF) in Dhaka on Friday. The minister also said that suitable digital connectivity and digital devices are essential to build Bangabandhu's Sonar Bangla. Internet and smart phones are like respiration. In the continuation of the establishment of Digital Bangladesh, the Internet is now an inevitable part of people's lifestyle. Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and BIGF Chairman Hasanul Haque Inu presided over the event. The Minister of Posts and Telecommunications said that the world's biggest library is the Internet. It is not right to deprive anyone of this. He said that there are bad aspects of using the internet and there are ways to protect from the bad aspects as well. From that, the parents have to play a role in the protection of children. Using Parental Guidance it is possible to control 100% of the internet. This pioneer of digital technology development highlighted the various initiatives taken by the government to keep the Internet safe, and said that we have already closed 26 thousand porn sites and 6 thousand gambling sites. This is an ongoing process. Highlighting the need to develop our children as human resources with digital skills, he said, "I have already provided reading through digital content without books at the primary level. It is being introduced in 800 primary schools of the country. Stating that I have shown the way, others will follow it, the minister said, if children are not given the opportunity to acquire digital skills, they will not be able to survive in the future world. Mustafa Jabbar further said that, besides the increase in internet usage, people now expect high speed-internet. For this purpose, under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Department of Posts and Telecommunications is taking and implementing various groundbreaking programs. He said, in 2006, the price of internet per Mbps in the country was 78 thousand taka, in 2008 it was 27 thousand taka and currently it is fixed at 60 taka. At that time, only seven and a half Gbps bandwidth was used in the country, which has now increased to 3800 Gbps, the minister said. On December 12, 2021, Bangladesh entered the 5-G era and said that the technology of the next era will be a 5-G era. 2G will continue for a short span of time, 3G mobile import and production will be stopped from January; the minister said 4-G will be the common platform. The minister also mentioned that the customers will be refunded money for mobile calldrops. Hasanul Haque Inu said, there is no field where the application of Internet technology is not required. Internet technology has created new economic opportunities in the country. Mentioning farmers-labourers, expatriates and women workers of garments as the driving force of the economy of Bangladesh, IT youths have joined them. He emphasized the need to declare internet as a fundamental right. BNNRC CEO AHM Bazlur Rahman moderated the event while BTRC Vice Chairman Subrata Roy Maitra, AMTOB Ex-Secretary General TIM Nurul Kabir, IGF Secretary General Mohammad Abdul Haque Anu, Youth Internet Governance Forum Chairperson Syeda Kamrun Jahan Ripa and Kids Internet Governance Forum Chairperson Ayesha Labiba spoke among others.