Bangladesh withdraws proposal for faster internet to Northeast India

The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has decided to recall a proposal aimed at providing faster internet connectivity to India’s northeastern states. The project, which was initially floated last year planned to use the Akhaura border, between India and Bangladesh in Tripura, as a transit route from Singapore to connect the region with Southeast Asia via Bharti Airtel’s network.

Currently, India’s northeastern states rely on a submarine cable connection routed through Chennai, which is about 5,500 km away, leading to slower internet speeds. The region’s mountainous terrain further complicates the maintenance and installation of fibre optic networks, often resulting in prolonged internet blackouts.

The proposed initiative, detailed in a report by The Daily Star, was designed to reduce the distance required to transit bandwidth from Singapore, significantly boosting internet speeds in the states of Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Mizoram, Manipur, Meghalaya, and Nagaland.

The plan, backed by Bharti Airtel and submitted by two Bangladeshi companies, Summit Communications and Fiber@Home, would have connected Tripura’s capital, Agartala, to Bangladesh’s submarine cable landing stations in Cox’s Bazar and Kuakata, ultimately linking the region to Singapore.

However, the BTRC has decided to recall the proposal, citing concerns that the project would undermine Bangladesh’s position as a regional internet hub. Mohammed Emdad ul Bari, Chairman of the BTRC, explained that the country’s regulatory guidelines do not permit such “transit” arrangements.

The BTRC’s rejection of the project was further fueled by worries that it would strengthen India’s internet infrastructure and limit Bangladesh’s ambitions to become a key player in global digital markets.

Reports also indicated that the deal could have disrupted Bangladesh’s plans to serve as a Point of Presence (PoP) for major global content delivery networks (CDNs) such as Meta, Google, and Amazon.

This regulatory move comes at a time of growing diplomatic engagement between India and Bangladesh, coinciding with Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri’s scheduled visit to Bangladesh on December 9. Misri’s visit is expected to cover a range of bilateral issues, including regional security and trade relations, amidst ongoing tensions, particularly concerning the safety of Hindus and other minority communities in Bangladesh.

MT