Bangladesh has faster broadband Internet than China | The Business Standard
Skip to main content
  • Latest
  • Economy
    • Banking
    • Stocks
    • Industry
    • Analysis
    • Bazaar
    • RMG
    • Corporates
    • Aviation
  • Videos
    • TBS Today
    • TBS Stories
    • TBS World
    • News of the day
    • TBS Programs
    • Podcast
    • Editor's Pick
  • World+Biz
  • Features
    • Panorama
    • The Big Picture
    • Pursuit
    • Habitat
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Mode
    • Tech
    • Explorer
    • Brands
    • In Focus
    • Book Review
    • Earth
    • Food
    • Luxury
    • Wheels
  • Subscribe
    • Get the Paper
    • Epaper
    • GOVT. Ad
  • More
    • Sports
    • TBS Graduates
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • Gallery
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Magazine
    • Climate Change
    • Health
    • Cartoons
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard

Saturday
July 19, 2025

Sign In
Subscribe
  • Latest
  • Economy
    • Banking
    • Stocks
    • Industry
    • Analysis
    • Bazaar
    • RMG
    • Corporates
    • Aviation
  • Videos
    • TBS Today
    • TBS Stories
    • TBS World
    • News of the day
    • TBS Programs
    • Podcast
    • Editor's Pick
  • World+Biz
  • Features
    • Panorama
    • The Big Picture
    • Pursuit
    • Habitat
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Mode
    • Tech
    • Explorer
    • Brands
    • In Focus
    • Book Review
    • Earth
    • Food
    • Luxury
    • Wheels
  • Subscribe
    • Get the Paper
    • Epaper
    • GOVT. Ad
  • More
    • Sports
    • TBS Graduates
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • Gallery
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Magazine
    • Climate Change
    • Health
    • Cartoons
  • বাংলা
SATURDAY, JULY 19, 2025
Bangladesh has faster broadband Internet than China

ICT

Mohsin Bhuiyan, Mursalin Hossain & Eyamin Sajid
03 September, 2020, 11:55 pm
Last modified: 04 September, 2020, 09:15 am

Related News

  • 5 forest officials injured in attack allegedly led by BNP leader in Ctg
  • Mobile operators give 1GB free data to users observing 'Free Internet Day' today
  • CA Yunus stresses transparency in finalising July Charter
  • Yongtai Energy’s rejoinder and our reply
  • Fire at Sena Kalyan Bhaban in Motijheel under control

Bangladesh has faster broadband Internet than China

Mohsin Bhuiyan, Mursalin Hossain & Eyamin Sajid
03 September, 2020, 11:55 pm
Last modified: 04 September, 2020, 09:15 am

Bangladesh besting China, a tech-savvy nation, in broadband speed. Sounds implausible? But the latest Worldwide Broadband Speed League indicates so.

Between July last year and June this year, the study tested nearly 50,000 unique IPs in Bangladesh 467,000 times and found the average Internet speed was 3.2 Mbps.

In contrast, the average Internet speed in China was 2.1 Mbps.

The Business Standard Google News Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel

Other than this unbelievable development, the study, which was unveiled on Wednesday, presented a grim picture of the state of the country's Internet connection.

Bangladesh ranked 184 out of the 221 countries where the broadband speed tests were run by M-Lab.

Even many Sub Saharan countries such as Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Mali had better average speed, according to the study prepared by cable.co.uk.

In South Asia too, it came behind Nepal (150), Bhutan (159), the Maldives (141), Sri Lanka (72) and India (101).

And what's more depressing is that Bangladesh fared better in previous year's ranking: it came in at 151 out of 207 countries.

The industry stakeholders, however, seemed taken aback by the ranking.

Mustafa Jabbar, posts and telecommunication minister, questioned the reliability of the report. 

"I don't understand on what basis they put us below Nepal and Bhutan in this tally when these two countries are requesting us to give them bandwidth from our country," he told The Business Standard on Thursday. 

However, he acknowledged that in remote parts of the country the Internet speed is not ideal. 

"Before the outbreak of coronavirus, the Internet was not used on a large scale in rural areas. But, for the last seven months, the Internet has become a major part of our lives, both in urban and rural areas." 

He went on to assure that all upazilas will be connected under the fibre optic cable by the end of 2021. 

"Then, rural people will get the same quality of Internet as the urban people," Jabbar added.  

Md. Emdadul Hoque, the secretary-general of the Internet Service Providers Association of Bangladesh (ISPAB), echoed the same as Jabbar about rural Internet speed dragging down the country's ranking.

"But we have good broadband speed in all divisional cities." 

To rectify the situation, he urged the government to issue more Nationwide Telecommunication Transmission Network (NTTN) licences. 

Currently, there are five NTTN operators, with Summit Communication and Fiber@Home holding the lion's share of the transmission line.

"Whatever the ranking is, people are getting good Internet service," said Md Ahmed Junayed, vice-president of the Internet Service Providers Association of Bangladesh.

But for better service, a third submarine cable has become essential.

"At least two new links are needed. A direct submarine cable is especially needed with Singapore," he added.  

Meanwhile, Liechtenstein came on top in this year's league, with an average Internet speed of about 230 Mbps -- enough to download a 5GB file in less than 3 minutes.  

Jersey, Andorra, Gibraltar and Luxembourg rounded off the top five spots, where it takes between 3 to 6 minutes to download a 5GB file.

South Sudan came at the bottom with a download speed of about 0.6 Mbps.

Bangladesh / Tech / Top News

Bangladesh / China / Broadband Internet

Comments

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

  • Logo of the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. Photo: Collected
    Jamaat set for its first-ever Suhrawardy Udyan rally today
  • BNP Standing Committee Member Salahuddin Ahmed. Photo: Collected
    One party trying to fish in troubled waters through misleading politics: Salahuddin
  • The formal announcement came during a press conference held today (18 July) at a city hotel in Dhaka. Photo: Jahir Rayhan/TBS
    Starlink top management officially inaugurates service in Bangladesh through kit deliveries

MOST VIEWED

  • Obayed Ullah Al Masud. Sketch: TBS
    Islami Bank chairman resigns
  • Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and SpaceX Vice President Lauren Dreyer after a meeting at state guest house Jamuna on 18 July 2025. Photo: Focus Bangla
    SpaceX VP Lauren Dreyer praises Bangladesh's efficiency in facilitating Starlink launch
  • GP profit drops 31% in H1
    GP profit drops 31% in H1
  • Around 99% of the cotton used in Bangladesh’s export and domestic garment production is imported. Photo: Collected
    NBR withdraws advance tax on imports of cotton, man-made fibres
  • Governments often rely on foreign loans. Russia’s loans covered 90% of the Rooppur Nuclear Power plant project's cost. Photo: Collected
    Loan tenure for Rooppur plant extended 
  • Representational Photo: Collected
    Railway allocates special trains for Jamaat's national rally in Dhaka

Related News

  • 5 forest officials injured in attack allegedly led by BNP leader in Ctg
  • Mobile operators give 1GB free data to users observing 'Free Internet Day' today
  • CA Yunus stresses transparency in finalising July Charter
  • Yongtai Energy’s rejoinder and our reply
  • Fire at Sena Kalyan Bhaban in Motijheel under control

Features

Jatrabari in the capital looks like a warzone as police, alongside Chhatra League men, swoop on quota reform protesters. Photo: Mehedi Hasan

19 July 2024: At least 148 killed as government attempts to quash protests violently

4h | Panorama
Illustration: TBS

Curfews, block raids, and internet blackouts: Hasina’s last ditch efforts to cling to power

10h | Panorama
The Mymensingh district administration confirmed that Zamindar Shashikant Acharya Chowdhury built the house near Shashi Lodge for his staff. Photo: Collected

The Mymensingh house might not belong to Satyajit Ray's family, but there’s little to celebrate

10h | Panorama
Illustration: TBS

20 years of war, 7.5m tonnes of bombs, 1.3m dead: How the US razed Vietnam to the ground

1d | The Big Picture

More Videos from TBS

Why is the Japanese 'extremely exposed' to foreigners?

Why is the Japanese 'extremely exposed' to foreigners?

7h | Others
NCP’s arrival turns Munshiganj vibrant with festivity

NCP’s arrival turns Munshiganj vibrant with festivity

11h | TBS Today
How did Pakistan shoot down India’s fighter jets?

How did Pakistan shoot down India’s fighter jets?

11h | TBS World
Bangladesh's Lower and Middle Classes Under Pressure from High Prices

Bangladesh's Lower and Middle Classes Under Pressure from High Prices

12h | TBS Stories
EMAIL US
contact@tbsnews.net
FOLLOW US
WHATSAPP
+880 1847416158
The Business Standard
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Sitemap
  • Advertisement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
Copyright © 2025
The Business Standard All rights reserved
Technical Partner: RSI Lab

Contact Us

The Business Standard

Main Office -4/A, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka- 1000

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - oped.tbs@gmail.com

For advertisement- sales@tbsnews.net