Internet To Face Partial Disruption Due To Upgradation Of Submarine Cable

Internet services in the country will experience partial disruption over a 20-hour period on October 31 and November 2 due to necessary upgrades to the country's initial submarine cable system.

The South East Asia-Middle East-Western Europe 4 (SEA-ME-WE 4) submarine cable will be partially disconnected for 10 hours from 2 a.m. to 12 p.m. on October 31 and for another 10 hours from 2 a.m. to 12 p.m. on November 2.

According to Mirza Kamal Ahmed, the managing director (in an additional capacity) of Bangladesh Submarine Cables PLC (BSCPLC), the capacity of SEA-ME-WE 4 is being increased, which requires modifications to the existing services. This upgrading process necessitates a temporary closure of the system. BSCPLC is investing $3.2 million to enhance the capacity of its initial undersea cable, increasing it nearly sixfold to 4,600 Gbps.

Presently, the first undersea cable, which connected Bangladesh in 2006, offers an 800 Gbps bandwidth with a capacity of 850 Gbps. While some customers' internet services will be temporarily disrupted, it's important to note that SEA-ME-WE 5 will remain operational, mitigating the extent of the disruption.

BSCPLC has indicated that the bandwidth capacity of the SEA-ME-WE 4 submarine cable will significantly increase upon the completion of the upgrade. The state-run company provides 1,700 Gbps through SEA-ME-WE 5, established in 2017.

The country's total bandwidth usage currently surpasses 5,000 Gbps, with more than half, approximately 2,700 Gbps, being sourced through international terrestrial cable (ITC) licenses that import bandwidth from India across land borders. The remaining bandwidth, about 2,400 Gbps, is supplied by BSCPLC through its two submarine cables.

By 2025, the BSCPLC anticipates receiving 13,200 Gbps from a third undersea cable, SEA-ME-WE 6. The demand for internet bandwidth is projected to surge by 600 percent in seven years to reach 30,000 Gbps, driven by the government's plan to connect all educational institutions to the internet, forming a blended education system that integrates online educational resources with traditional classroom methods.

In September of the previous year, private companies Summit Communications, CdNet Communications, and Metacore Subcom Ltd secured licenses to establish, operate, and maintain submarine cables, marking a shift away from the state's monopoly in the wholesale bandwidth sector. These three entities have joined forces to connect the country with its first private submarine cable by 2025.