Will Bangladeshi phone users integrate well into IoT?

Since the first public floatation of World Wide Web (WWW) in August 1991, thanks to Tim Berners-Lee - the inventor, the world has seen many innovative solutions to issues in our daily lives through internet-based services. After the inception of 3G network in Bangladesh in October 2014, there has been a growth of internet subscription from 44 million in October 2014 to 83.1 million in February 2018, almost double within less than 4 years. This growth of internet subscribers mean that more and more Bangladeshi people are on the internet to find information and entertainment, as well as communicate and shop online! With the introduction of 4G recently, the growth of subscribers and hence the ecommerce industry is expected to surpass the highest sector-based earnings in the country - that of garments sector, within next 5 years, as predicted by Ecommerce Association of Bangladesh. And right now, we are in a position to get the internet of things. Now, what is the Internet of things?

Internet of Things (IoT) is a growing prospect in this dynamic and digital world of ours. IoT is the concept of connecting physical devices such as kitchen appliances, vehicles, fixtures and even heart monitors to the Internet. Since this is a revolutionary feature, more devices will continue to be added to the list. In simple terms, the term IoT is deemed for instruments which are not usually expected to have internet connections. The devices are connected via standalone internet-connected IoT gadget, which can be further controlled from a remote location. A simple example is a light bulb in a living room, which can be switched on and off by a Smartphone app.

IoT has just entered Bangladesh legally. Bangladesh Telecommuni-cation Regulatory Commission (BTRC) issued a directive allowing the IoT to be used for smart buildings, automation industries and various other city services that can aid in the establishment of a smart city. As per the directive, all importers would have to enlist themselves with BTRC and have to collect no-objection certificates before importing any IoT gadget(s) in the country. Furthermore, BTRC also mentioned the nine sectors where IoT is to be predominantly applied - industry automation, smart building, smart grid, water management, waste management, telecare, intelligent transport system, smart agriculture, environment management, smart urban lighting and smart parking.

Many companies in the country have started working on research and development in the area of IoT. Big names like DataSoft Systems Bangladesh Limited has recently set up an intricate state-of-the-art laboratory, while its reach of IoT services go beyond the border of Bangladesh. DataSoft is working on installing IoT in 10,000 homes in Japan, which will cut electricity bills, stated the DataSoft Managing Director Mahboob Zaman. They are also working on integrating IoT into the agriculture industry, more specifically in the fisheries sector. Closely following DataSoft's approaches are Cloudy, KazBD and PlaneterBD, to name a few, who are working on industrial automation as well as smart home gadgets' development. Since the concept of IoT is still a growing phenomenon in the country, more tech firms are likely to enter the fray and bring about a Digital Bangladesh having smart cities that the government craves for.

Apart from the IT industry, knowledge creators such as Bangladesh Innovation Forum has delved into this new prospect and maintained a close link through organizing seminars on IoT, as they did in May last year. The Digital World 2017 conference in December was another milestone that showcased the potential of IoT in this country. The responses in these events, especially from youths of the country, have been promising. However, IoT becomes feasible in our daily lives through the integration of IoT devices controlled by only portable devices like Smart-phones.

Currently, mobile phone subscriptions in the country have exceeded the staggering figure of 148 million, but Feature-phones still dominate with a share of 65%, while Smart-phones account for only 35%. Although half of the country's population has started accessing the internet, mass acceptance of Smart-phones by a majority of the country's population is still needed for IoT to flourish. But a minimum amount of around 3,000 BDT is required to purchase one. That does not seem feasible for many millions in the country, even with stable imports of smartphones in 2017 as stated by Bangladesh Mobile Phone Importers' Association (BMPIA).

There are new hopes of enhancing connectivity through 4G, which is a key requirement for the success of IoT. Whether the speed technology wins the minds and hearts of the mobile phone users, especially their pockets, and propels the purchases of IoT devices and their integration in the daily lives of people is however something yet to be seen, researched or investigated.

Kamal Hossain is a Senior Lecturer at the Business School of BRAC University; kamal.

[email protected].

Saffat Rahman Khan is a BBA student at BRAC University.