Ban on single-band router import, production from April 2025

The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has announced a ban on the import and production of single-band routers, effective from April 2025.

The move is part of the regulator's initiative to enhance the quality of broadband internet services in the country.

In a recently issued notice, the BTRC stated that all routers must support both the 2.4-2.8 GHz and 5.7-5.8 GHz frequency bands for future production or imports.

This decision aligns with the regulator's earlier move to open the 6 GHz band for spectrum allocation, aiming to ensure uninterrupted high-speed internet for users.

At present, most routers on the market operate on a single band, which limits their capacity to deliver optimal internet speeds.

As a result, customers often fail to receive the speeds promised by their service providers.

"To address this issue, we will not permit the import or local production of routers that do not support both frequency bands," the BTRC noted.

Telecom experts have welcomed the decision, describing it as both timely and essential.

They highlighted that single-band routers operating solely on the 2.4 GHz band are outdated and cannot meet modern internet speed demands.

This measure will significantly improve the last-mile user experience, which is crucial given increasing reliance on broadband for smart home devices and high-speed connectivity, an expert said.

Industry insiders also expressed optimism, predicting that the adoption of dual-band routers would lead to faster internet speeds.

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