Stakeholders call for greater competition in Bangladesh’s international bandwidth market

Industry stakeholders have called for greater competition in Bangladesh’s international bandwidth market to ensure more affordable and reliable internet services.

They also urged the authorities to facilitate private investment in submarine cables, ensure open and non-discriminatory access to landing stations, and maintain stable and predictable policies for the sector.

The recommendations came at a seminar titled “Affordable Internet for All and Investment by Tech Giants in Bangladesh: Current Challenges and the Way Forward”, organised by the Telecom and Technology Reporters Network Bangladesh (TRNB) at Rawa Convention Hall in Dhaka’s Mohakhali today (22 September).

Speakers said Bangladesh Submarine Cables PLC (BSCPLC) plays an important role in the country’s international bandwidth infrastructure. However, with demand for internet services and international connectivity continuing to grow, they said Bangladesh needs multiple submarine cables, alternative international routes and additional landing stations.

According to a presentation at the seminar, the price of 1 Mbps of bandwidth in Bangladesh fell from Tk75,000 in 2006 to Tk500 in 2016 and currently stands at around Tk120.

Industry stakeholders estimate that increased competition following the entry of private submarine cable operators could bring the price down further to Tk60–70 by 2027.

Bangladesh currently uses around 13,500 Gbps of international bandwidth.

Speakers said stronger international connectivity, reliable power supply and predictable policies would also be crucial to attracting investment from global technology companies such as Google, Meta, Akamai and Cloudflare.

The seminar also recommended simplifying the process for establishing private submarine cables, expanding domestic fibre sharing, increasing internet exchange points (IXPs) and local peering, and rationalising taxes on broadband infrastructure.

Aminul Hakim, managing director and CEO of Metacore Subcom, said greater competition in international connectivity infrastructure could improve efficiency in the bandwidth market and create opportunities for the benefits to reach consumers.