The government is now offering broadband internet to the country's every corner at a fixed price. All the internet users of the country will get the fixed rate facility according to the government commitment.
The project would play a vital role in building ‘Digital Bangladesh’ to eliminate the discrimination between cities and villages.
With a theme of 'One Country, One Rate', Post and Telecommunication Minister Mustafa Jabbar inaugurated the service from the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) office in the capital on Sunday.
BTRC has fixed the price for broadband internet across the country. The internet service providers have to provide broadband internet service at the same price everywhere in the country.
According to the tariff plan, the customer has to pay a minimum of Tk 500 for 5 Mbps internet connection at the union level. The internet price of 10 Mbps speed has been fixed at Tk 800 to Tk 1,000. And 20 Mbps connection has been set at Tk 1,100 to Tk 1,200.
Mustafa Jabbar said, “It was a great challenge for us to establish 'One Country, One Rate' project. Through this, young entrepreneurs, freelancers and other people will be benefited. Now, digital services will be at their doorsteps and they will be able to explore new opportunities of the world.”
“Due to the prudent leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, today we are being able to implement every challenging project into reality.
Now, the rural people are getting city facilities. It has become possible due to the government’s promise to turn the village into city,” he added.
“In the coming days, internet services will also be ensured for the people of char and remote areas of the country. Uninterrupted internet service will be assured to them through our satellite. There will be no discrimination among city, village, and remote areas,” the minister further said.
During the inaugural function of ‘One Country, One Rate’ tariff, BTRC Director General Brigadier General Md Nasim Parvez said, “This is an opportunity to take broadband internet connection to the union level through Info Sarkar 3 project.”
He said the BTRC had introduced the ‘One Country One Rate’ tariff to attract foreign investment by eliminating the lack of coordination among ISPs at the local level as well as protecting the interests of marginal broadband internet subscribers.
Although the number of mobile internet users is high, broadband internet users use 56 percent of the country's total bandwidth.
Internet service providers said that the price of broadband internet in Dhaka may be reduced by Tk 100 to Tk 200 per month. However, internet users of districts, upazilas and unions will get more benefits.
At present, high speed fiber optic cable connectivity has reached about 3,800 unions in the country. The high-speed internet connectivity will be extended to digital centers in 617 unions in remote areas by this year.
BTRC Chairman Shyam Sundar Sikder presided over the function while Telecommunications Secretary Afzal Hossain was present as the special guest.
