Internet Service Providers Association of Bangladesh (ISPAB) urged the government Sunday not to remove the overhead cables in the city by today (Monday).
They said the government has set a timeframe for the removal of overhead cables in the capital within November 10, 2014 in a bid to beautify the city which is unrealistic.
They said this at a press conference on 'removal of overhead cables connected with electric poles' at a city hotel on Sunday.
Only two Nationwide Telecommunication Transmission Licence (NTTN) companies - Fibre@Home Limited and Summit Communications Limited - are currently in charge of managing the underground connections.
They said as early as possible the NTTN companies should complete their work on underground network so that ISPs can remove the overhead cables.
Dhaka Power Distribution Company Limited (DPDC) and Dhaka Electric Supply Company Limited (Desco) published a notice in different newspapers and ordered ISPs and cable operators to remove overhead cables within ten days which will end today (Monday).
ISPs have replaced or brought down around 300 kilometres of overhead cables from major roads in Dhaka city and linked it up to underground network of NTTN companies.
ISPAB secretary general Md Emdadul Hoque said, "The government can remove or cut overhead cables in the capital phase by phase, gradually from main roads and later from lanes."
He said, "If the government cut overhead cables at a time, it will be a disaster as activities and services of banks, share market, readymade garment industry, educational institutions, hospitals, government and non-government organisations, software industry, embassies, e-mail, social networking, e-ticketing, traffic monitoring will be badly effected."
ISPAB members said the DPDC and Desco can rent out electric poles to the ISPs at a low monthly charge or the government can give permission to ISPs to set up separate poles for their own purposes.
They said the government should give licence to two or three more Nationwide Telecommunication Transmission License (NTTN) which will help break the monopoly and reduce the transmission cost of internet and data.
Generally, Tk 1500 should be paid for international transmission for per MBPs. Whereas ISPs are now providing Tk 1500 for local transmission to NTTN companies.
They said the government can set up common duct to resolve the problem.
Meanwhile, ISPAB members met Sunday BRTC officials and today (Monday) they are likely to meet the ICT ministry officials to talk about this issue.
ISPAB President Md Akhtaruzzaman Manju, vice president Syed Sadat Almas Kabir, and joint secretary general Syed Md Tariqul Islam were present, among others, at the press conference.
ironlady_007@yahoo.com
