Survey begins to measure broadband service quality

Fixed-line internet service providers are conducting an online survey, the first of its kind in the country, to learn about end users' experience of broadband connections.

Internet Service Providers Association, Bangladesh (ISPAB) officially started the survey from Thursday through their website and Facebook page, asking authentic broadband users to provide their proper user information.

Customers having proper evidence can raise complaints against their household service providers in the survey.

The association will run the survey for the next two weeks, said ISPAB General Secretary Md Emdadul Haque.

“Actually we have started this process to learn about our customers' needs and complaints and then we will design our offers accordingly,” said Haque.

He said they often come to know about some service providers who charge higher than the market rate; the ISPAB can address such complaints through the survey.

“If any ISP really charges higher than the market rate, we will take necessary action against it.”

The government cut wholesale bandwidth prices in the last few years but that had little impact on the end users. Customers also raised complaints about different other issues.

To encourage customer into taking part in the survey, ISPAB has also decided to provide gifts to 20 selective participants of the survey.

As of June, there are 46.22 million active broadband connections in the country, according to Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission.

ISPAB leaders say the actual number of data consumers is about two crore.