Dhaka, Agency –
Bangladesh has been linked to the international telecommunication network through terrestrial cable. International Terrestrial Cable (ITC) operator NovoCom announced the launching of the service at Ruposhi Bangla Hotel on Saturday, December 8.NovoCom Managing Director Syed Moinul Haque said Bangladeshis would not face any problem to connect to the international telecommunication system even if the submarine cable was disrupted.
NovoCom connected Bangladesh with Indian telecommunication companies Tata and Airtel, using terrestrial optical fibre cable as an alternative to the submarine cable. The new terrestrial cable will link Bangladesh to other countries through several submarine cables with landing stations at Mumbai and Chennai.
Bangladesh depended only on one submarine cable for telecommunication. When the cable needed repair, an often-needed procedure, there had previously been no other ways to communicate.
As the new connection has been created using terrestrial cable, disruption in submarine cable service will not hamper service anymore.
“Internet will be easily accessible and the users will get facilities as our ITC operator has started working,” Moinul said.
NovoCom will also connect Bangladesh’s Internet Service Providers (ISPs) with the international cable systems other than the submarine cable, he said.
The government had published an advertisement on the guideline for ITC licencing on Mar 31 last year. Though the advertisement said up to three licences would be given, six companies have got approval.
The licences were handed over to NovoCom Limited, One Asia AHLJV, BD Link Communication Limited, Mango Teleservices Limited, Summit Communication Limited and Fibre at Home Limited on Jan 5 this year.
The firms other than NovoCom are still working to be connected with the international telecommunication system. One Asia, which got connected through Tata in August, is yet to launch commercial activities using the same.
Link through terrestrial cable lines would be cheaper than submarine cable lines. “We’ll be able to set up a direct connection with Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan and China.”
