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Slower net speed likely for four days

FE REPORT | October 27, 2020 00:00:00


The country's internet users are expected to witness a slower connection speed for four days from Wednesday or Thursday for emergency repair work of submarine cable.

"Some IIGs (international internet gateways) are connected with Singapore via Chennai as an alternative route," said Internet Service Providers Association of Bangladesh (ISPAB) vice-president Ahmed Junayed.

"There is a submarine cable run by Indian Airtel. The cable is being repaired," he told the FE.

The country's IIGs that use this cable may face some slowdown but the internet facility will continue. The rest will not have any problem, he explained.

However, Mr Junayed said internet subscribers may face the problem starting from October 28 or October 29 to November 01 or 02.

During the peak hour, internet users are likely to face more congestion than off-peak hour, he continued.

Bangladesh was linked to the first submarine, the SEA-ME-WE-04, in 2005, Mr Junayed said, adding that it is connected to Singapore in different ways through this.

He said the SEA-ME-WE-04 often needs to be repaired. Some circuits are being repaired there. As a result, some people may fall a little slower, he stated.

In September 2017, Bangladesh was linked to the SEA-ME-WE-05 through the second submarine cable at the landing station at Kalapara in Patuakhali district.

The total number of internet subscribers in the country has doubled in the past five years, thanks to the government's commitment and push for digitisation.

According to the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission, the number of subscribers stood at 108.188 million as of August 2020.

It was 54.120 million at the end of December 2015.

Of the total subscribers, the telecoms regulator said, there were 99.618-million mobile internet users and 8.571-million broadband users until August 2020.

Up to December 2015, the number of mobile internet users in Bangladesh stood at 51.453 million and broadband internet users at 2.667 million.

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