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Technology experts and industry entrepreneurs have called for opening Bangladesh’s submarine cable sector to private operators and implementing an active infrastructure-sharing policy to break the state monopoly and ensure quality, affordable internet access for ordinary citizens.
They made the call at a workshop and discussion organised by the Technology Reporters Network, Bangladesh (TRNB) at Skyline Restaurant in Dhaka on Tuesday.
In his welcome address, TRNB President Masuduzzaman Robin stressed the need to fully utilise international partnerships and foreign investment opportunities to ensure quality and affordable broadband networks.
The event was moderated by former TRNB president Samir Kumar De. Two technical papers were presented by MetaCo Project Lead Mahmud Shahed and Internet Service Providers Association of Bangladesh (ISPAB) Treasurer Moin Uddin Ahmed.
Presenting a paper titled “Affordable Internet for All”, Moin Uddin Ahmed placed a 10-point proposal on behalf of ISPAB.
“Although the government may initially develop infrastructure, it should be opened to the private sector after a certain period,” he said.
“Simply increasing the number of internet users is not enough. We need to create an environment that ensures quality and meaningful internet use,” he added.
Moin said Bangladesh’s dependence on virtually a single government source for bandwidth supply means that in the event of any disruption, the main backup line has to be used as the primary route.
“There is no alternative to increasing route diversity, ensuring active sharing of domestic fibre-optic infrastructure and establishing carrier neutrality if Bangladesh wants to become an international technology hub,” he said.
In his presentation, Mahmud Shahed said the government had maintained a longstanding monopoly over bandwidth transportation and supply.
He said Bangladesh Submarine Cables PLC (BSCPLC), which currently provides services through two submarine cables, had raised its annual revenue to around Tk4,000 crore.
He alleged that efforts to protect such profits by restricting market competition were creating a major barrier to private-sector entry.
According to Shahed, global technology giants including Google, Meta, Akamai, Cloudflare and Amazon currently use around 13,500 Gbps of bandwidth in Bangladesh.
However, he said, the lack of supportive policies and a favourable regulatory framework was discouraging the companies from setting up local hyperscale data centres.
If private companies are given full permission to operate submarine cables, he said, it would create healthy competition, strengthen data sovereignty and help reduce the unit price of bandwidth to Tk60-Tk70 by the end of 2027.
