Broadband internet services have taken a severe hit following a fire at Khawaja Tower in Mohakhali, Dhaka, on Thursday afternoon. Mobile internet and voice calls have also been impacted, although to a lesser extent compared to broadband connections.
The building houses operation centres of several International Internet Gateway (IIG) service providers, data centres and interconnection exchanges (ICXs).
Currently, the country has 12.15 million broadband internet users. Among them, approximately 40% — or around 5 million users — are experiencing disruptions, with many completely losing internet access. Meanwhile, those who still have access are facing slow internet speeds.
In addition, about 20% of the country's mobile internet users (119.79 million), or roughly 24 million customers, are unable to connect to the internet. This outage is also affecting voice calls and the use of various social media platforms, including Facebook, Messenger and WhatsApp.
This correspondent gathered the information from discussions with various individuals in the internet sector.
Broadband internet is widely used in homes, offices and government institutions. Those engaged in freelancing and outsourcing rely heavily on broadband connections, making its speed and low latency crucial for their work.
When queried about the situation, Emdadul Haque, president of ISPAB, the organization representing internet service providers in the country, said: "We have received information that the fire is now under control, but access has not been granted to assess the damage. Our immediate need is to restore fast internet service. Devices that have been burnt must be replaced, and, if necessary, expedited delivery by air should be considered. The sooner we gain access the quicker we can provide solutions. Currently, 40% of the total number of broadband internet users nationwide are without service."
He mentioned that Khawaja Tower houses two data centres, one named NRB, which has been affected by the fire. Without evaluating the condition of the other data centre, Dhaka Cola, it would be premature to estimate the damage, the ISPAB president added.
Authorities confirmed that 9-10 of the IIGs located in Khawaja Tower have shut down. Each IIG provides bandwidth to 50-70 ISPs. Consequently, a significant number of ISPs (500-700) are presently unable to offer internet services.
Ahmed Junaid, secretary general of IIG Forum, said: "Certain IIGs such as Level Three, Max Hub, Amra Networks, Earthnet, Vargo and Windstream have been completely shut down. By transitioning to backup IIGs, the impact has been somewhat mitigated. Level Three, Summit Communications, Fiber at Home and Amara Networks supply bandwidth to the country's mobile operators. Currently, Networks IIG has ceased operations completely, whereas Level Three is operating at 95% capacity with a minor bandwidth issue accounting for the remaining 5%."
On the other hand, Summit Communications and Fiber at Home remain unscathed, ensuring their uninterrupted bandwidth supply. However, the remaining 20% of mobile internet customers serviced by the other two IIGs face disruptions.
Additionally, mobile operators are grappling with interconnectivity problems since the ICXs located in Khawaja Towers are affected. Consequently, customers are experiencing difficulties in making voice calls, facing delays and encountering call drops.
The Mobile Network Operators' Association of Bangladesh (MTLB) released a statement addressing the issue. They explained that the fire had disrupted voice calls between mobile operators due to the presence of ICXs in the building.
Mobile operators, in collaboration with respective ICX operators, are diligently working to re-establish the interconnection system elsewhere, aiming for a swift resolution.
Former ISPAB president Aminul Hakim, when approached for comment, estimated the total losses from the Khawa Tower fire to exceed Tk500 crore. Of this, IIGs are likely to have incurred a loss ranging from Tk300-350 crores.
He emphasized that the devices damaged by fire or water cannot be repaired promptly due to both their irreparable condition and shortages in the market. The timely resolution of the issue hinges on how quickly these devices can be procured, Aminul opined.
Aminul further elaborated: “Currently, the country utilizes 5,000Gbps bandwidth. With the shutdown of the IIGs, the available 1,200Gbps bandwidth supply is dwindling. Although some ISPs maintain bandwidth backups from multiple sources, they provide limited relief. Internet speed will be compromised, and availability may be severely affected.”
