Professor Saifur Rahman, Director Manisa Pipattanasomporn, Graduate Student Alexandria Research Institute Virginia Tech

1. Telecommunication Needs for the Internet Infrastructure in BangladeshPresentation at the Workshop on Nationwide Internet Access & Online ApplicationsDhaka, Bangladesh Professor Saifur Rahman, Director Manisa Pipattanasomporn, Graduate Student Alexandria Research Institute Virginia Tech 23 May 2004

2. IT Facts in Bangladesh • 50 telephone lines and 3 Internet users per 10,000 population • High installation charge of roughly $200 for a new telephone line • Long waiting time for a new connection of 2-4 years

3. Themes for Discussion • Review existing IT infrastructures in Bangladesh • Review various access technologies • Identify least-cost ICT solutions for Internet access in Bangladesh

4. Broad Benefits from ICT • ICT for Education • ICT for Health • ICT for Economic Opportunity • ICT for Empowerment and Participation

5. Source: BBC News Source: BBC News ICT for Education Wireless web reaches village children “Using computers to assist in teaching mathematics” “ Primary school children are introduced to computers using multimedia CDs.” Schools in remote villages can serve as a venue for adult education, health care and small business activities

6. ICT for Health • Online medical centers to provide better care for the sick • CD-ROMs to show how to better treat patients • Transmission of tests to the hub in the capital city for analysis New horizons for Bangladeshi doctors “The telecentre in Sonagazi” Source: BBC News

7. ICT for Economic Opportunity ICT can contribute to better marketing opportunities through access to information on: • Weather • Farming best practice • Crop status • Global market price

8. ICT for Empowerment and Participation State of Madhya Pradesh, India • Faster and more transparent access to government services. • Farmers can get copies of land titles for 10 cents (previously $100 from corrupt officials). ICT contributes to fostering empowerment, and making government processes more efficient.

9. Existing IT Infrastructure in Bangladesh • Satellite • Microwave Links • Optical Fiber Links • Cellular Coverage

10. Satellite &Microwave Links • Satellite is the only way to communicate internationally • Microwave links are the major communication backbone of the country • Microwave speed range from 34-155 Mbps Source: BTTB Annual Report 2001

11. Fiber Links &Cellular Coverage Grameen Coverage as of March 2004 Railway lines • Backbone is transferred from microwave links to optical fiber links • Roughly 1,800-km fiber is installed along 2,900-km railway track • Leased by Grameen telephone to spread telecom footprint across the country Source: www.gsmworld.com

12. Last-Mile Technologies • Wireline: POTS, DSL, Cable Modem • Wireless: • Fixed Wireless (WLL, LMDS, MMDS, VSAT) • Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) • Wireless Metropolitan Area Network (WMAN) • Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) Internet Access Alternatives < 35km > 35km

13. Telephone PSTN Modem Router Modem Internet Computer ISP POTS/DSL POTS = Plain Old Telephone Service (56 Kbps) DSL = Digital Subscriber Line (768 Kbps) • POTS:simplest way to connect to Internet, just modem and PC • DSL: a high-speed connection via a telephone lines

14. Cable Modem Delivering high-speed Internet services over cable TV systems (0.5-1Mbps) • A splitter splits the signal to TV outlets and the cable modem • Cable modem connects directly to the PC

15. WLL provides: Simultaneous telephone and Internet connection (35-70kbps) Source: www.srtelecom.com CorDECT WLL • CorDECT WLL = Wireless Local Loop based on DECT standard • CorDECT WLL has been used extensively in India for rural telecommunication Repeater End user End user Base Station

16. MMDS/LMDS • MMDS:support max 3.2Mbps per base station, maximum coverage of 20-km NLOS • LMDS: support max 155Mbps, maximum coverage of 3 km with LOS connection

17. Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN 802.11) • Operates in unlicensed bands • Provides speed of up to 54Mbps with 802.11a and up to 11Mbps with 802.11b • Coverage 100-300 meters Wireless Card Access Point

18. WMAN 802.16 Up to 50 km • 802.16 provides path between subscriber sites and a core network • It can provide 60 customers with T-1 speed, range of 50km • 802.11 can add mobility to users in the building • Recently introduced, late 2003

19. Mobile Broadband (WMAN 802.20) • 802.20 seeks to boost real-time data transmission rate to 1 Mbps or more. • Cell ranges of up to 15 kms or more. • Deliver speed to mobile users traveling at speeds up to 250 km/h. • Availability: 2005 or later

20. WWAN WWAN uses cellular networks to enable Internet connection from cellular phones. • Require infrastructure changes, e.g. new base station add-on and software upgrade and new handsets

21. VSAT VSAT = Very Small Aperture Terminal • 2.4 m or smaller disk • Provide connection in areas with no infrastructure

22. Evaluating Last-Mile Options • Cost of ownership POTS DSL Cable Modem WLL MMDS LMDS 802.11 802.16 802.20 VSAT POTS DSL Cable Modem WLL MMDS LMDS 802.11 802.16 802.20 VSAT • Coverage distance • Data rate

23. Evaluating Last-Mile Options WLL * Bangladesh FOB price based on a quote from an Indian company (2003) ** Data from “Licensing New Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) Operators in Private Sector in Bangladesh”, BTRC (2003) • Coverage distance 10-35km • Data rate 35/70 kbps

24. Evaluating Last-Mile Options MMDS * Price based on a quote from a US company (2003) ** Data from “Licensing New Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) Operators in Private Sector in Bangladesh”, BTRC (2003) • Coverage distance 25km • Data rate Max 3.2Mbps

25. Evaluating Last-Mile Options 802.16 * Price based on a quote from www.jts.net/724-36MicrowaveRadio.htm (2004) ** Data from “Licensing New Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) Operators in Private Sector in Bangladesh”, BTRC (2003) • Coverage distance 35km • Data rate 24Mbps effective

26. Evaluating Last-Mile Options VSAT * Price based on Sustainable Development Networking Program (SDNBD) www.sdnbd.org/sdi/issues/IT-computer/IT_Revolution_A_Millennium_Opportunity.htm ** Data from “Licensing New Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) Operators in Private Sector in Bangladesh”, BTRC (2003) • Coverage distance few km with copper wire • Data rate 64kbps – 2Mbps

27. Costs Comparison– user perspective • * Sharable bandwidth

28. Other Costs • Access charge to use PSTN from BTTB: BTTB charges a one-time registration fee of Tk10,000; installation and testing fee of Tk30,000 at 2Mbps; and a rental fee of Tk76,000 per annum. • Personal Wireless Services: these may include wireless design services, site survey services, wireless engineering services, installation and maintenance support. • Other costs: these may include cost of towers, recurring costs, end-user equipment, housing infrastructure and power supply.

29. Area: 144,000 km2- Flat terrain Population:133 million people (925 persons/km2) Infrastructure:optical fiber, cellular tower, microwave station ICT Solution for Bangladesh Take a closer look at a target country: Bangladesh With existing infrastructures, WLL or 802.16 are least-cost options. In any case, backbone must be able to support data needed at base stations

30. Possibility for Nationwide Telecom-and-Internet Access in Bangladesh • In Bangladesh, about 90% of the population could be served by as few as 25 towers with multiple base stations using WLL or 802.16 technologies. 35 km coverage

31. Conclusions • Least-Cost ICT Solution for Bangladesh Recommend WLL or 802.16 for Bangladesh. Per unit cost will depend on number of clients that can be served from one location To this end, the proposed solutions will vary depending on the available ICT infrastructure, applications, speed requirements, and ability to pay for the services.