The Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh (AMTOB) has urgently called on the government to ensure priority fuel supply and stable electricity for telecom infrastructure, warning that any prolonged shortage could disrupt nationwide connectivity and cripple the country's digital economy, with the situation already beginning to affect telecom operations at the ground level.
In a statement issued on Thursday, AMTOB said with geopolitical tensions escalating and resulting to the onset of a global fuel crisis, the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) alerted the government regarding foreseeable disruptions in seamless telecom operations.
While the government responded positively and instructed relevant authorities to extend support, the situation on the ground has yet to fully reflect those directives.
At the same time, recent storms have led to a noticeable increase in REB power outages, with restoration times in many areas becoming prolonged. A similar trend is expected during the rainy season, further increasing operational vulnerability for telecom networks.
In this context, the industry is now urgently seeking a comprehensive support framework that includes priority and uninterrupted fuel supply for core network locations, assured fuel availability for Base Transceiver Station (BTS) sites operated by the four mobile operators and four tower companies, dedicated fuel allocation for maintenance transport, reduced load shedding at critical telecom facilities and the fastest possible restoration of REB power following storms and weather-related disruptions.
Bangladesh's telecom network infrastructure comprises approximately 45,000 towers, multiple operator owned data centers, Network Operations Centers (NOCs) and many other critical network components covering nearly 100 percent of the country's geographical area and providing essential telecommunication services to 185 million people.
All the MNO network elements including radio access sites, switching nodes, core network platforms, data centers, and NOCs require a stable, reliable, and uninterrupted electricity supply on a 24/7 basis to maintain service continuity, network quality, and national connectivity.
Despite its scale and critical importance, the network remains heavily dependent on diesel and petrol-powered generators -- particularly during power outages, load shedding, and natural calamities.
In addition to the ongoing global energy crisis, Bangladesh is also prone to major cyclones and floods, which lead to fuel and energy shortages. Therefore, any disruption to fuel availability poses a serious risk to uninterrupted nationwide connectivity.
Telecommunication is not only a service, rather it is the lifeline of the economy and constitutes critical national infrastructure, playing an indispensable role in enabling emergency communications, public safety, government services, digital financial services, business operations, and everyday connectivity for citizens.
Failure to ensure uninterrupted connectivity would also trigger a cascading collapse across the entire internet value chain, impacting e-commerce, banking and mobile financial services, corporate operations, online ride-sharing networks, and all other operations that depend on seamless connectivity.
MNOs has urgently called on the government to take necessary measures to ensure adequate fuel and electricity supply to maintain uninterrupted telecom operations, safeguard nationwide network availability, and provide stable, continuous communication services for the people of Bangladesh.
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