BCC working to provide internet access to 617 remote unions by 2023

The Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) of the Information and Communication Technology Division (ICT) has been working to provide internet access to 617 remote unions of the country by December 2023.

The council has been implementing a project called Connected Bangladesh to ensure internet facilities in all schools, colleges, madrasas, growth centres and telecom operators in the remote areas, says a press release of the ICT Division.

The project started in October 2018 and will run till December 2023. The estimated cost of the project is Tk5,0443.31 lakh, according to the press release.

Under the project, a high-quality network will be established in the telecommunication-deprived areas. 

Md Abdul Mannan, PAA, executive director of the BCC and additional secretary to the Bangladesh Government, said the residents in the regions would be able to enjoy the benefits of the project soon.

Apart from promoting e-commerce, e-services, telemedicine through high-speed internet usage, one of the goals of the project is to increase employment opportunities in the IT sector and create new entrepreneurs.

Jagadish Chandra Sarker, the project director and also a deputy secretary, believes that this project will eliminate the inequality in getting the digital facilities in the riverine, remote, hilly and remote areas in the 617 unions.

The Connected Bangladesh project is being implemented with the funding of the "Social Obligation Fund (SOF)" managed by the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) under the Posts and Telecommunications Division.

Under this project, 8,106 kilometres of optical fibre cable is being installed at the union level, backbone router and DC power system are being installed in the remote areas and pop room renovation work is underway. 

Bangladesh Cable Shilpa Ltd, Khulna, a state-owned company, has procured 8,106 km of optical fibre cable and 5,000 km of duct pipes. 

As of January 2022, according to the internal data of the project, about 51.28% of the Pop Room Renovation work and about 40.22% of the work of laying optical fibre cable has been done. 

A team, consisting of 62 skilled professionals, is working on the implementation of this project. 

The project director said that in collaboration with the Bangladesh Army, the work of installing optical fibre cables in 59 unions of Bandarban, Khagrachhari and Rangamati was underway. Soon 13 unions of Sandwip would be brought under broadband connectivity, he added.

The project will play an important role in enhancing the interoperability, efficiency, transparency, effectiveness and quality of services (SOS) of the government through the expansion of the network across the country.