The Internet Service Providers Association of Bangladesh (ISPAB) has launched National Internet Exchange (NIX) service in an effort to keep data within the country.
Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar officially inaugurated the new internet service at an event at the Radisson hotel in Dhaka on Sunday, said a press release.
According to an agreement between the internet service providers (ISPs), the NIX is the exchange point for passing internet traffic within the country, it reads.
The service facilitates local content development, encourages local web hosting and reduces latency in domestic traffic, thereby saving international bandwidth and foreign currencies.
Initially, the ISPAB NIX set up four points of presence (POPs), certain areas where ISPs or other authorised users will get access to the NIX.
"We will expand NIX in all divisional cities within six months," said ISPAB President Md Emdadul Hoque while speaking at the event.
Bangladesh Internet Service Providers Internet Exchange Trust, owned by the association, will run the NIX service.
Congratulating the ISPs for implementing one country, one rate across the country, the minister urged other trade bodies to form separate trust like the ISPAB for ensuring quality service.
“We will not be able to build data civilization unless we cannot build data highway, and the ISPs are working for the vision”, he said.
Chairman of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) Shyam Sunder Sikder, vice-chairman Md Mohiuddin Ahmed and Nazmul Karim Bhuiyan, secretary general of the ISPAB, among others were present.
