Countrywide fiber optic network expansion faces uncertain future
Wednesday, 9 December 2009
Mehdi Musharraf Bhuiyan
The country's lone nationwide telecom transmission firm's plan to expand fiber optic network across Bangladesh faces an uncertain future after it failed to woo major clients in using its high-speed telecommunications backbone.
Fiber@Home won the rights to spread the most modern network to all over the country in January this year and has almost completed laying 1200 kilometre long telecom backbone in 23 districts and 92 Upazilas (sub-districts) as part of its ambitious Tk 15 billion investment plan.
But chief executive of the company said Sunday any further expansion of its network looks dim after it failed to sell the service to major telecom operators which need fiber optic lines --- the most reliable telecom medium-- to carry their voice and data traffic.
"We have held series of talks with telecom companies including major mobile phone, land-phone, WIMAX operators, cable television and internet service providers. However, we have yet to receive any final commitment from any of the telcos, ISPs and Cable TVs," Moynul Haque Siddiqui told the FE.
The hi-tech start up -- the first company to receive NTTN license in Bangladesh -- says that it has now adopted a conservative policy in extending the fiber optic network to 41 other districts and some 400 other sub-districts.
"Our fiber optic laying work in 23 districts will be complete by January 2010. We have equipped the lines with the latest telecommunications services such as SDA and MPLS. But top telecom operators have said that they would wait and see before availing the services," Moynul said.
Under the agreement with the government, Fiber@Home is required to set up fiber optic lines in each of the country's districts and Upazilas in ten years.
But Moynul said the company has accomplished its network laying job in 23 districts in just six months and it has the capacity to expand the high-speed telecom network nationwide by 2013.
"But unless big companies buy our services and we get steady sources of revenue, it would be near impossible to carry on expanding the network," Moynul said.
"If we receive positive response from our potential clients, the roll out process would be much easier and faster for us," he added, "Otherwise, the future timeline could be much uncertain".
Fiber optic is used in the developed world as the main backbone for all kinds of telecommunications and electronic entertainment services.
Moynul said the high-speed lines his company was laying could cut operational cost for data and voice carriers by at least 66 per cent.
A senior official of a top mobile phone company told the FE that they were still weighing the pluses and minuses of using Fiber@Home's fiber optic network.
"Fiber@Home officials came to us recently and made presentations on the benefits of using its most modern network," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
"However, we have told them that first we want to see how the network works. If it makes real difference in cost cutting, we obviously become its client," he added.
At present, the state-owned BTCL and the country's largest mobile phone operator Grameenphone are using fiber optic lines to carry its data and voice traffic.
BTCL uses its own network while Grameenphone has won exclusive rights to use the high-speed network laid by the Bangladesh Railway and the Power Grid Company Bangladesh.
The country's lone nationwide telecom transmission firm's plan to expand fiber optic network across Bangladesh faces an uncertain future after it failed to woo major clients in using its high-speed telecommunications backbone.
Fiber@Home won the rights to spread the most modern network to all over the country in January this year and has almost completed laying 1200 kilometre long telecom backbone in 23 districts and 92 Upazilas (sub-districts) as part of its ambitious Tk 15 billion investment plan.
But chief executive of the company said Sunday any further expansion of its network looks dim after it failed to sell the service to major telecom operators which need fiber optic lines --- the most reliable telecom medium-- to carry their voice and data traffic.
"We have held series of talks with telecom companies including major mobile phone, land-phone, WIMAX operators, cable television and internet service providers. However, we have yet to receive any final commitment from any of the telcos, ISPs and Cable TVs," Moynul Haque Siddiqui told the FE.
The hi-tech start up -- the first company to receive NTTN license in Bangladesh -- says that it has now adopted a conservative policy in extending the fiber optic network to 41 other districts and some 400 other sub-districts.
"Our fiber optic laying work in 23 districts will be complete by January 2010. We have equipped the lines with the latest telecommunications services such as SDA and MPLS. But top telecom operators have said that they would wait and see before availing the services," Moynul said.
Under the agreement with the government, Fiber@Home is required to set up fiber optic lines in each of the country's districts and Upazilas in ten years.
But Moynul said the company has accomplished its network laying job in 23 districts in just six months and it has the capacity to expand the high-speed telecom network nationwide by 2013.
"But unless big companies buy our services and we get steady sources of revenue, it would be near impossible to carry on expanding the network," Moynul said.
"If we receive positive response from our potential clients, the roll out process would be much easier and faster for us," he added, "Otherwise, the future timeline could be much uncertain".
Fiber optic is used in the developed world as the main backbone for all kinds of telecommunications and electronic entertainment services.
Moynul said the high-speed lines his company was laying could cut operational cost for data and voice carriers by at least 66 per cent.
A senior official of a top mobile phone company told the FE that they were still weighing the pluses and minuses of using Fiber@Home's fiber optic network.
"Fiber@Home officials came to us recently and made presentations on the benefits of using its most modern network," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
"However, we have told them that first we want to see how the network works. If it makes real difference in cost cutting, we obviously become its client," he added.
At present, the state-owned BTCL and the country's largest mobile phone operator Grameenphone are using fiber optic lines to carry its data and voice traffic.
BTCL uses its own network while Grameenphone has won exclusive rights to use the high-speed network laid by the Bangladesh Railway and the Power Grid Company Bangladesh.