Bangladesh has no current or future bandwidth shortage: Submarine Cables

The Bangladesh Submarine Cables PLC (BSCPLC) has ruled out any current or future shortage of international bandwidth, saying it is fully prepared to meet the country's growing demand.

In a press release issued by the Posts and Telecommunications Division on Wednesday (2 September), the state-owned company said recent reports warning of a possible bandwidth crisis and higher internet prices were misleading and did not reflect the actual situation.

The statement came in response to reports published under headlines including "Bangladesh on the brink of bandwidth crisis, major disruption feared in internet sector" and "Internet prices may rise, speed may fall amid bandwidth crisis".

"Currently there is no shortage of international bandwidth supply, nor is there any possibility of a shortage in the future," BSCPLC said.

The company said it is implementing a third trusted submarine cable system, SEA-ME-WE-6, alongside its existing SEA-ME-WE-4 and SEA-ME-WE-5 systems to meet future demand.

The two existing submarine cables have a combined capacity of around 7,200 Gbps. Of this, around 4,000 Gbps is currently being supplied to the country, while BSCPLC has the capacity to provide another 3,200 Gbps, according to the statement.

Once SEA-ME-WE-6 becomes operational in 2027, the state-owned submarine cable systems will have a combined bandwidth supply capacity of around 34,000 Gbps, the company said.

According to projections by the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), the country's total bandwidth demand is expected to reach 30,000 Gbps by 2030.

BSCPLC said the projected capacity would therefore be sufficient to meet the country's growing bandwidth demand.

Besides the submarine cable systems, bandwidth is also being imported according to demand through the country's six International Terrestrial Cable (ITC) operators.

The company also said it has already started the process of joining a fourth submarine cable system, further strengthening the country's international bandwidth capacity.

BSCPLC said it has been providing bandwidth to customers through attractive packages while continuously reducing prices, making international bandwidth more affordable.

It said bandwidth would be provided at more affordable prices as usage increases in the future.

Rejecting reports of an impending shortage or price hike, BSCPLC said such reports were "not correct" and had been disseminated deliberately.

The company urged the public and other stakeholders not to be alarmed by what it described as misleading reports.

BSCPLC also said it remained committed to protecting the country's digital sovereignty and ensuring the security of its national strategic information infrastructure.