BSCPLC rejects fear of bandwidth crisis

Bangladesh Submarine Cables PLC (BSCPLC) has informed that the total bandwidth capacity of the state-owned submarine cables will be upgraded to 41,000 Gbps by 2027. The company claimed that this capacity will be sufficient to meet the growing bandwidth demand of the country.

BSCPLC informed this information in a press release on Wednesday (September 2). The organization has also claimed the reports published in several media recently regarding bandwidth shortage and the fear of increase in internet prices as ‘misleading’ and ‘devoid of reality’.

It was said in the press release that currently BSCPLC is supplying bandwidth in the country through these two submarine cable systems—SEA-ME-WE-4 and SEA-ME-WE-5. Considering the future demand, another submarine cable system SEA-ME-WE-6 is being implemented.

Currently the combined capacity of the two submarine cables is about 7,200 Gbps. Among this, about 4,000 Gbps bandwidth is being supplied in the country. The company informed that there is still capacity to supply about another 3,200 Gbps bandwidth.

It was said in the press release of BSCCL that when SEA-ME-WE-6 is launched in 2027, the total bandwidth supply capacity of the state-owned submarine cables will reach 41,000 Gbps. Capacity to supply 34,000 Gbps bandwidth will be created only from SEA-ME-WE-6.

According to the projection of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), the total demand for bandwidth in the country will stand at 30,000 Gbps in 2030. BSCCL claimed that before that the capacity of the state-owned submarine cables will be more than the possible demand in 2027.

Besides, it was informed in the press release that bandwidth is also being imported according to demand through the six ITC operators of the country. BSCPLC has also started the activities of joining the fourth submarine cable.

The company also claimed that they are fully prepared to meet the current and future bandwidth demand of the country. BSCPLC informed that currently there is no shortage in the supply of international bandwidth and there is no fear of shortage in the future either.

The company further informed that service is being given in various attractive packages for the customers alongside continuously reducing the price of bandwidth. It has also been mentioned in the press release that if the use of bandwidth increases in the future, it will be supplied at a more affordable price.

Earlier on August 31 in a workshop titled ‘Necessity of New Submarine Cable to Protect Digital Sovereignty and Meet Future Bandwidth Demand’, the representatives of the consortium of domestic entrepreneurs investing in the private sector submarine cable project informed of a different fear. They said that Bangladesh may fall into bandwidth crisis if a new submarine cable is not joined. They also expressed the fear that the price of internet may also increase due to this.

The representatives of the consortium also gave the opinion that it will be possible to tackle the possible crisis if a submarine cable is launched under private initiative. They also alleged that the work of the private submarine cable project is stuck even after reaching the ‘final stage’ due to the complexity of government approval.