BTRC cuts bandwidth charges

The telecom watchdog has cut internet bandwidth prices by 33 percent, aiming to encourage operators to make internet-based services affordable for the mass.

The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has reduced the new tariff to Tk 18,000 from the previous Tk 27,000 per Mbps (megabits per second) after consulting with stakeholders, including internet service providers and telecom operators, the telecom regulator said in a press statement yesterday.

Bangladesh was connected to the information superhighway via an undersea cable in 2006 at a cost of $35.1 million. The SEA-ME-WE-4 cable has a bandwidth capacity of 1.2 terabytes per second.

Following the undersea cable connection, internet penetration jumped to 4 percent by the end of 2008, which was only 0.4 percent in 2004. Currently, 50 lakh people are using the internet mainly through mobile operators and internet service providers.

BTRC however did not mention when the new tariff would come into effect.

“After execution of the new price level, BTRC will direct operators on what to charge for internet services," said BTRC Chairman Zia Ahmed.