Internet users across the country have experienced a sluggish connection speed for around five hours as power supply to the second submarine cable, SEA-ME-WE-5, has been disrupted at the Kuakata landing station.
Internet Service Providers Association of Bangladesh (ISPAB) President MA Hakim confirmed the matter to Dhaka Tribune on Sunday.
Around 50% to 60% of the internet users across the country have been affected by this, he said.
However, the concerned authorities are working tirelessly to restore power to the submarine cable and hopefully things will go back to normal within the next five hours, he added.
“Half of the country’s internet is supplied through SEA-ME-WE-5. Users here have been facing slow internet speeds and connectivity issues since Sunday morning,” he added.
Contacted, Mashiur Rahman, managing director of Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company said: “SEA-ME-WE-5 has the capacity of supplying 1,500Gbps worth of internet to the country but power supply to the cable has been disrupted.
“We are trying to repair it as quickly as possible,” he added.
Bangladesh was connected to the first submarine cable, SEA-ME-WE-4, in 2005, through which it receives up to 250 Gbps of bandwidth.
Later in September 2017, the landing station of the second submarine cable, SEA-ME-WE-5, was set up in Patuakhali’s Kalapara.
Through the second cable, Bangladesh is said to receive 1,500 Gbps worth of internet.
The country is also connected to six alternative submarine cables.
Both SMW4 and SMW5 are owned by BSCCL.
