Analog Dividend: Bangladesh Case

Broadcast and Broadband

Think of what spectrum can do to us?

I wouldn’t talk about developed countries where optical fibers are everywhere and people don’t talk about download speed less than megabytes if it. According to broadband policy of Bangladesh as we proposed, it still is 128 kpbs. We might argue all night but look at our internet penetration rate but the real question – how do we go from here?

While physical infrastructure is scarce for wired connectivity, let alone to every household; spectrum is believed to be godsend for countries like us. Mobile broadband is the blessing in disguise where we can leapfrog the technology we haven’t done so far, the physical infrastructures to be connect to.

Assume the rate of GPRS/EDGE take up in Bangladesh, which is phenomenal. You might get awfully low download speed; blame it on the operator who doesn’t subscribe required international bandwidth – not the technology. Assigning dedicated carriers to data services might do the trick, but how do you get more spectrum?

WiMAX and HSPA (3G) might even promise better broadband experience unless the operators upgrade their thin backhauls, which are still optimized/prioritized for voice. I do travel a lot to the countryside, sampling is my other bad habit.

Okay, it boils down to one single thing, you need huge spectrum to cover this 162 millions of people. Spectrum, making the most of a scarce resource, what can you do about it? I hear you ask.

There might be hundreds of ways I know of, let’s talk about freeing up unprecedented amount of spectrum from analogue terrestrial TV broadcasting band. What happens when only 10% of the frequencies allocated to TV broadcasting are being utilized and yes, could that be re-allocated to mobile communications, the mobile broadband industry could dramatically speed up the rollout of broadband connectivity?

Have you thought of the social impact when everyone gets almost a free ride on the Internet when USOF (Universal Services Obligation Fund) is in force?

Yes, operators pay for your internet if you either can’t afford or living in the underserved area when government works on Universal Access (UA).

Regulation is beauty knowing how much promise it holds!