Bandwidth export to India is likely to begin from the 3rd week of December through Akhaura-Agartala boarder.
Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company Limited (BSCCL) Managing Director Monwar Hossain told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.
“The bandwidth export will open up a huge opportunity for us. After exporting it to India, other countries would also like to import bandwidth from Bangladesh,” said Monwar.
“We would like to arrange a gala ceremony to mark the maiden export of bandwidth in which State Minister for Post and Telecommunications Tarana Halim will be present as the chief guest.”
The function would be held either on the border area of both countries or in Dhaka, but the decision for event location is yet to be finalised, he added.
Initially, India will import 10Gbps bandwidth which import will increase up to 40Gbps later on, as per the agreement.
BSCCL has the capacity to export up to 50 Gbps bandwidth.
Bangladesh and India connected their optical fibre at zero point on the Akhaura-Agartala borderline on November 16 while a trial run for bandwidth export to India continued since then.
Earlier, both countries agreed to kick off their formal bandwidth export on December 1. According to the agreement, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) decided to import 10 Gbps bandwidth for Tripura state from September this year, but the export timing had been fixed one month ahead in August. Later, both party missed the deadline.
Bangladesh has a bandwidth capacity of 200 Gbps, of them only 33% is used.
In 2006, Bangladesh got connected to the current submarine cable at a cost of $63m.
“We have already earned two to three times as much as invested for connecting the current submarine cable,” a BSCCL official said, asking not to be named.
Since the lifetime of Bangladesh’s submarine cable will end within the next 12 years, there is no other alternative but to export bandwidth, he added.
Industry insiders say the country’s demand for bandwidth may reach 210 Gbps by 2021.
The state-owned company signed a deal with the Indian state-owned BSNL on June 6 for exporting bandwidth during Indian prime minister’s visit to Bangladesh.
The submarine cable company will get the payment at the beginning of each quarter while Bangladesh will earn Tk9.6 crore a year by exporting bandwidth to India.
The bandwidth export price is 33% higher than that in domestic market though there are opinions against the latest price of bandwidth.
The deal has been signed initially for a year and it can be extended for two more years, a BSCCL official said, adding that the bandwidth price will be reviewed after a year.
The Indian state of Assam and Meghalaya had also shown interest in importing bandwidth from Bangladesh.
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