Internet bandwidth at the lowest price from July!

The Dhaka Times Desk Internet bandwidth prices have been set at minimum prices to ensure affordable internet usage in building Digital Bangladesh. Internet bandwidth will be available at the lowest price from July!

According to media reports, the Department of Posts and Telecommunications of the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology has taken this decision to reduce the bandwidth price to the lowest level.

This decision was taken in a meeting titled Affordable Digital Infrastructure in Building Digital Bangladesh last Thursday in the conference room of the Department of Posts and Telecommunications under the chairmanship of Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar. Ashok Kumar Biswas, secretary of the Department of Posts and Telecommunications, was present in the meeting.

Post and Telecommunication Minister Mustafa Jabbar said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government is a people-friendly, technology-friendly government. There has been a revolutionary change in the development of information and communication technology in the country from 1996 to 2001 and from 2009 to now so that common people including students can use the internet at an affordable price. Even in 2008, 7 and a half Gbps bandwidth was used in the country. Currently it has increased to 1100 Gbps.

Previously, in August 2009, the price of internet per Mbps was reduced from 27 thousand taka to 18 thousand taka. Later, in April 2011, it was reduced to 12 thousand taka, in April 2012 to 8 thousand taka, in April 2014 it was only 2 thousand 800 taka and in September 2015 it was reduced to a maximum of 960 taka and a minimum of 360 taka.

The revised price list of Internet related services in various categories is as follows:

IP Transit for IIG

Bandwidth MBPS up to 500-999 MBPS Recharge (Rs.) 350, MBPS Recharge (Rs.) 335 for minimum 2 year contract, MBPS Recharge for Bandwidth MBPS up to 50000+ (300 MBPS Charge (Rs.) 285 for minimum 2 year contract).

IP Transit for ISPs

Bandwidth MBPS (5-19) (Only from Upazila or UP) MBPS Recharge (Taka) 400 MBPS Recharge (Taka) 375 for minimum 3 year contract. And Bandwidth MBPS 40000 + MBPS Charge 310 Tk. 290 MBPS charge for minimum 3 years contract.

BTCL Local Content Transmission Charges

30 Mbps (Taka) per transmission charge for Greater Dhaka Area, 100 (Taka) 100 Mbps (Taka) per transmission charge outside Dhaka.

For education and training institutions

Bandwidth 5-99 Mbps, Charge per Mbps (Rs.) 300, MBPS Recharge (Rs.) 270 on minimum 5-year contract, Bandwidth 3000 MBPS and above, MBPS Recharge (Rs.) 200 MBPS Recharge (Rs.) 180 on minimum 5-year contract .

For government offices, or semi-government organizations and corporate offices

Bandwidth 5-49 Mbps per charge (Rs.) 395, MBPS Recharge (Rs.) 355 for minimum 5 years contract, : Bandwidth MBPS 3000+ MBPS Recharge (Rs.) 250 MBPS Recharge (Rs.) 225 for minimum 5 years contract.

VPN service

Nationwide One Rate Bandwidth (Mbps) 1 to 5 300 per Mbps, Bandwidth (Mbps) 10,000 or more, Rs 30 per Mbps.

In addition, 10 percent discount facility has been given to the customers in rural areas from the charges mentioned above. At the same time, the bandwidth price of Linux web hosting packages and Windows web hosting packages has also been reduced. More details can be found at www.btcl.gov.bd.