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Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited’s (BTCL) optical fibre cable network project has been implemented to provide high-speed internet connection in the upazilas, but people's access to services is being disrupted due to the weakness in proper commercial planning, lack of maintenance and proper campaign.
As a result, the full potential of the project is not being realised.
There is an opportunity to increase BTCL’s service quality under this project, but on average only 11 per cent of the customers are going for its broadband internet service and most of them are also not satisfied with the internet speed.
These evaluations have come out in the recently released Impact Assessment Survey Report of the Planning Minister’s Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) on the Development of Optical Fibre Cable Network at Upazilla Level (2nd revised) project.
Under the project, implemented by BTCL, optical fibre cables have been laid to provide broadband internet facilities in 345 upazilas across the country. Out of the 345, IMED inspected the situation in 96 upazilas on-site and prepared the report.
According to the report, the organs installed under the project were found to be partially functional. The optic cable was cut and damaged in many places. It cannot be repaired due to a shortage of manpower, equipment and funds.
Equipment installed at various places has been damaged or is lying unused or being used at less than capacity. The report pointed out that various weaknesses of the project remain as feasibility studies by independent and professional bodies were not conducted before taking up the project.
Objectives
The project aimed to create infrastructure for an optical fibre network at the upazila level as per the National Broadband Policy 2009, so that Union Parishads can be brought under internet services too.
To that end, the project was taken up in July 2013 with an estimated price tag of Tk 499.28 crore. It was supposed to be completed in 2016. However, both time and cost increased later and the project was finished in June 2018 at a cost of Tk 621.64 crore.
The project’s main objective was to increase broadband penetration across the country. It also aims to increase telecom and information and communication technology facilities in rural areas and take the right information in real-time to the common people to reduce poverty.
The components of the project included the installation of optical fibre cables, installation of optical transmission, IP network and power equipment, installation of generator and air conditioning equipment, and earthing installations.
Weaknesses
There was no cost-effective and viable plan for the maintenance of cables and equipment installed under the project. There was no cost-effective and realistic action plan to provide customer service under the project. There was no business plan as well.
As a result, people are not getting the benefit of the project in proportion to the cost and BTCL is not receiving the expected revenue against the cost, said the IMED report.
It also mentioned that no information regarding operation and maintenance cost is available from BTCL. The state-run company also do not have any information regarding its income against investment, operation and maintenance expenditure.
Banking on this project, BTCL's customers were supposed to increase, but that did not happen at the expected level. A survey to assess the project’s impact showed that only 11 per cent of broadband internet users at the upazila level are BTCL subscribers.
The evaluation of BTCL’s internet services is also not very good, said the report. Most of the customers feel that the service quality of the company is average and they are not satisfied with the internet speed.
According to the report, only 4 per cent of customers think that BTCL's internet service is very good, 29 per cent feel good, 61 per cent went for average and 7 per cent feel the service quality is poor.
Also, only 3 per cent of customers feel that BTCL's internet speed is very good, 22 per cent good, 64 per cent chose average, and 11 per cent think the speed is poor.
Meanwhile, 77 per cent of customers said that their internet connection gets disconnected sometimes, highlighted the report.
Contacted regarding the IMED report, Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar told The Business Post that the completed projects were discussed in the boards of the institutions and the chairman of the board is the Posts and Telecommunications Division secretary. He suggested contacting the secretary.
The division’s Secretary Abu Hena Morshed Zaman, also the BTCL chairman, was unavailable for comments over the phone.
IMED recommendations
The IMED report made several recommendations to properly ensure the services and utilise the project’s potential to the fullest extent.
It said special internet/data tariff plans can be designed based on the project. The service quality and internet speed should be improved and BTCL must address the shortage of experienced and skilled manpower.
It suggested inking service contracts with private organisations to efficiently and timely complete the necessary repairs and maintenance works.
The report also recommended that BTCL should conduct an audit through an impartial and professional firm to know the current status of cables, equipment, internet speed, customer service, income and expenses under the project.
Besides, it recommended throwing out BTCL's business plan and not providing internet connections under its supervision at the upazila, union and village levels. In this case, the report suggested working based on private partnerships.
