Internet Service Providers Association of Bangladesh (ISPAB) warned to stop providing internet services in the capital’s Motijheel and Dilkusha commercial areas in protest of a decision to remove overhead internet cables.
Dhaka Power Distribution Company Ltd (DPDC) and Dhaka Electric Supply Company (DESCO) has decided to remove the overhead cables from the areas by August 21.
“If the decision is finally enforced, we will have to take tough actions. DPDC and DESCO will be responsible for any disastrous situation in that case,” MA Hakim, president of ISPAB, told a press conference yesterday.
He said the government has given Nationwide Telecommunication Transmission Network (NTTN) licence to two organisations only. “But they are not fully prepared to provide us with technical solutions. The ISPs have developed their networks in their own ways. We have installed hundreds of kilometres of cables on the poles investing hundreds of crores of taka.”
MA Hakim said overhead cables were essential to provide the internet service smoothly. “In order to avoid the problem of overhead cables, the number of LDP points needs to be increased, which is the responsibility of NTTN operators.”
“Unfortunately, it has been noticed that the ministry of power and the DPDC always try to put the responsibility on the shoulders of ISP operators instead of NTTN operators,” he alleged.
Motijheel and Dilkusha areas are the major commercial hubs of Bangladesh. All the commercial activities of the country are operated and controlled from here. Bangladesh Bank, head offices of different state-owned and private commercial banks, insurance companies, garment industries and other major companies are situated here. All overseas commercial operations are also carried out from here.
In this regard, a technical committee has been formed, led by deputy secretary to power, energy and mineral resources ministry. Other members of the committee include representatives from DESCO, DPDC, BTRC, Summit Communication Ltd, Fibre@Home Ltd, BTCL, CCOAB and ISPAB. The committee has been working for removal of overhead cables over the last two years after monitoring and analysing the technical problems.
“We don’t understand how DESCO and DPDC have published notices through newspapers for removal of overhead cables in commercial areas like Motijheel and Dilkusha without prior consultation with the committee,” ISPAB General Secretary Md Emdadul Huq said.
“Every year, we pay Tk62 crore to Fibre@Home and Tk42 crore to Summit Communication, but we didn’t get proper services from them,” he alleged.
He said in order to avoid such an undesirable situation, ISPAB leaders proposed to ensure NTTN operators’ “last-mile underground connections” to fix the NTTN cable rate at Tk0.25-0.30 per mitre.
“But now it stands at Tk2.00. DPDC, DESCO, city corporations and other 2/3 private companies should be given the opportunity to have the NTTN licence. Otherwise all the ISPs will not get the benefit of NTTN.”
Former ISPAB President Akhtaruzzaman Manju also spoke at the press conference.