India's third internet gateway

Cox's Bazar: India's third internet gateway

With Bangladesh's simultaneous exports and imports of Digital Bandwidth to India, both countries are looking on for development. As Bangladesh has the first Submarine Cable SEA-ME-WE4, landing in Cox's Bazar in 2005, the country is struggling at times to provide consistent internet during outages. During this time, 6 other private outfits through Kolkata, are insufficient to meet local demand. Bangladesh is eagerly waiting for the second promised under-sea cable. which lnads at Kuakata.

Mismatch of electronic media delivery

Digital content for grassroots people is the way forward

With the progressing growth of internet connectivity across the country, the former president of the Bangladesh Computer Samity has expressed some insight about the current status of digitalization. Smartphones, tablets and computers increasingly becoming the means of connecting online for even the people in the grassroots nowadays. However, he has referred to the mismatch of content with infrastructure, pointing out that the government is not stressing on content, first.

Internet "non"-penetration

Bangladesh has fifth largest offline population globally: WB

In a recent World Bank study has found that Bangladesh has about 148 million population still out of the the reach of internet connection. This makes the country the fifth largest offline economy in the globe. India, China, Indonesia and Pakistan are ranking higher in the list above our country. The study also stated that 60% of the worldwide population are outside net of digital connectivity.

Bangladesh national statistics reports otherwise and have dismissed the World Bank's figures. BTRC has provided national statistics of total active internet connections to be 53.94 million as of November 2015, which is significantly different from the World Bank's estimates of 11.98 million. Internet penetration from BTRC is reported to be above 34% currently. This figure is accepted as official.

3G and telecom in 2015

3G brings a boom to telecom

In 2015, the Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh are greatly satisfied at the expanse of 3G distribution all over the country. Figures showed 40,000 new 3G connections being rolled out everyday. November 2015 final figures for the economy highlighted 2.47 crores (24.7 million) existing 3G subscribers, with internet connections to be 5.39 crores (53.9 million). Six mobile phone operators grew 1.28 crore (12.8 million) new SIM connections, while the government slashed SIM tax from Tk300 to Tk100, helping digital growth in the country. On that front, mobile phone imports in October only totaled 2.69 crores (26.9 millions), 46.7 lakh (467 thousand) of which were smartphones. Astonishingly for mobile phone growth statistics, the whole of 2014 managed imports of 2.59 crores (25.9 millions).

Social media stats

70pc users spend more than an hour on social media: study

The vast world of social media is an infinite prospect for research. A fertile ground for social media in Bangladesh, businesses and investors are keen to learn the clockwork of this online space. In a recent survey, a Chinese mobile internet company took on local people's habits on online socializing. UCWeb, found that 70% of the 7,395 respondents spend more than 1 hour daily on social media. Of those, 23% spend more than 5 hours a day!

Social Media ban toll on mobile internet

Facebook ban took toll on mobile internet

Status updates on mobile internet continue to make news as official accounts are taken after the resume of Facebook and other social media access. Preliminary estimates already fearing the worst, official estimates now state the 22-day social media ban has caused active mobile internet connections to dive to 5.14 crore in November. In the preceding month it was 8.63 lakh users and also on a rising healthy trend. Mobile internet users make up the numbers by purchasing daily or weekly internet packs, but the closure forced them to halt this habit. The top 3 operators saw their data usage statistics fall by as much as 30%.

BTRC: Internet users drop by over 7 lakh in November

The total number of internet users took a toll in November, dropping by 7.17 lakh. In October, it was 5.46 crore, but in November it stood at 5.39 crore, according to BTRC reports. Of total mobile internet users, the drop was 8.63 lakh, from standing at 5.23 crore in October to 5.14 crore in November. Some changes in statistics are as follows:

• October: Mobile internet users - 5.23 crore; WiMax users - 1.59 lakh; ISP and PTSN internet users - 21 lakh.
• November:  Mobile internet users - 5.14 crore; WiMax users - 1.54 lakh; ISP and PTSN internet users - 23 lakh.

Internet users milestone

Internet subscribers cross 5cr landmark

Amongst our country’s major flaws, trials and tribulations, the telecom industry passed a major milestone in July this year. From the BTRC website, it was informed that the country crossed over to 5.07 crore internet subscribers in July. In that month, fixed-line internet subscribers showed 12.93 lakh, mobile phone subscribers at 12.87 crore and Wimax users on a slow decline registering 1.74 lakh.

Grameenophone is the market leader in terms of internet communications, following Robi, Airtel and Teletalk, whereas oldest operator Citycell makes the bottom of the list.

Internet bytes: change for good, threats for not

GP offers EasyNet to build internet awareness

The new CMO of Grameen Phone, is endeavouring to reduce the barriers of national connectivity to increase internet penetration, by introducing “EasyNet” service. This provides knowledge and hands-on learning about Internet to anyone, targgetted naturally to the rural population. It provides video tutorials, free internet sites and small data packs, without a data subscription. This is a refreshing step by one of the leading telecom operator of the country, GP to reach those 7.5 lakh internet unaware people and progress towards towards the slogan “Internet for all”.

Mobile inter-operator tariff debate

Mobile operators divided over inter-connection charges

Airtel and Citycell is to your right, where they are seeking complete withdrawal of inter-connection fees, while to your left, Robi, Grameenphone and Banglalink is in disagreement with the proposal. They counter-pointed that operating lower than the current one of the world’s lowest tariff rates and Robi opting for an increase in minimum voice call price.