On June 6, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), fixed the maximum tariff for broadband internet across the country at Tk 500 a month for using a broadband connection with a minimum internet speed of 5 Mbps. For 10 Mbps, the rate would be Tk 800 to Tk 1,000, and for 20 Mbps, Tk 1,100 to Tk 1,200, and so on.
The landmark decision to fix the rate of broadband connection across the country came after a series of meetings with operators of the International Internet Gateway, Nationwide Telecommunication Transmission Network, International Terrestrial Cable, and internet service providers. But behind the scenes, the credit goes to a small community of freelancers in Kushtia who have been campaigning for internet equality for the last 5 years or so. This is their story.
How a group of rural freelancers made internet available at flat rate across the country thedailystar.net - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thedailystar.net Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The telecom regulator yesterday fixed the prices for broadband internet connections. The monthly cost of a connection with a minimum speed of 5 Mbps is Tk 500, 10 Mbps Tk 800 - 1,000, 20 Mbps Tk 1,100 - 1,200, according to the new decisions. Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) fixed the rates after multiple meetings with International Internet Gateway,
The broadband internet users in rural areas face discrimination as the internet service providers (ISPs) charge more in rural areas despite a growing demand for broadband internet connectivity.
The operators, however, claim that they pay high transmission cost for providing connectivity outside Dhaka through the Nationwide Telecommunication Transmission Network (NTTN) operators.
For installing a new connection in Dhaka city, the ISPs charge around Tk 2000, but the fee is almost 50 per cent higher in rural areas.
The penetration of broadband internet almost doubled in the last one year amid coronavirus pandemic, according to official data.
Some 5.7 million internet users subscribed to the network of ISP and Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) in February 2020, which stood at 9.7 million at the end of February this year.