No bandwidth crisis Says BSCPLC
Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company PLC (BSCPLC) has rejected reports of an impending bandwidth shortage and internet price hikes, saying the country has sufficient capacity to meet both current and future demand.
Bangladesh is not facing any shortage of international bandwidth, nor is there any prospect of a shortage in the future, the Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company PLC (BSCPLC) said in a press release on Wednesday.
The state-owned company issued the clarification after reports appeared in several media outlets and online portals warning of a possible bandwidth crisis, major disruption in internet services and higher internet prices.
BSCPLC said it was expanding the country’s submarine cable infrastructure to keep pace with future demand. Alongside the existing SEA-ME-WE-4 and SEA-ME-WE-5 systems, the company is implementing another trusted submarine cable system, SEA-ME-WE-6.
The two existing submarine cables have a combined capacity of around 7,200 Gbps. Of this, around 4,000 Gbps is currently being supplied in the country, while BSCPLC has the capacity to provide another 3,200 Gbps.
The company said the launch of SEA-ME-WE-6 in 2027 would significantly increase Bangladesh’s international bandwidth capacity, enabling a total supply capacity of 34,000 Gbps through the submarine cable system.
According to projections by the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), the country’s total bandwidth demand is expected to reach 30,000 Gbps in 2030.
By 2027, the total bandwidth capacity of the state-owned submarine cables is expected to reach 41,000 Gbps, which BSCPLC said would be sufficient to meet the country’s growing demand.
The company also pointed out that bandwidth was being imported according to demand through six ITC operators, providing an additional source of international bandwidth for the country.
Meanwhile, BSCPLC has already started the process of joining a fourth submarine cable, further strengthening the country’s international connectivity infrastructure.
BSCPLC said it was fully prepared to meet the country’s present and future bandwidth requirements and that there was currently no shortage of international bandwidth.
It also rejected concerns that bandwidth prices would rise, saying it had already been providing bandwidth to customers through attractive packages alongside continuous reductions in bandwidth prices.
The company said international bandwidth had consequently become more affordable and that it would provide bandwidth at even more affordable prices as usage increased in the future.
BSCPLC described reports about a bandwidth shortage and possible price increases as incorrect and said they had been circulated with an ulterior motive.
It urged people not to be alarmed by what it called misleading reports.
BSCPLC said it remained committed to protecting the country’s digital sovereignty and ensuring the security of national strategic information infrastructure.
The company’s latest statement comes as Bangladesh prepares to expand its submarine cable capacity through SEA-ME-WE-6 while continuing to rely on existing cables and bandwidth imports through ITC operators.
