Govt plans emergency network continuity protocol for businesses

The government is planning to establish an emergency network continuity protocol to protect businesses, especially the internet-dependent ones, from being harmed by any future connectivity issues, said State Minister for Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak.

Following a meeting with the representatives from major ICT-based businesses at his Secretariat office on Thursday (1 August), Palak told reporters the recent unrest led to infrastructure damage and an internet blackout, resulting in an estimated financial loss of around Tk18,000 crore for government and private entities involved in telecommunications, IT, and IT-enabled services.

He said the meeting focused on ways to address the losses incurred.

The sectors most affected were digital commerce, telecommunications, software, business process outsourcing, and IT freelancing. Representatives from these industries requested that such negative experiences not be repeated.

Md Emdadul Hoque, president of the Internet Service Provider Association of Bangladesh (ISPAB) told TBS the implementation of the emergency network continuity protocol will depend on properly aligning policies and technological upgrading to segregate business users of the internet based on their categories.

At the press briefing, Palak said the ICT Division has already written to the commerce ministry to initiate incentives for around 7 lakh IT freelancers against their services exports.

Also, his ministry would try to initiate disbursing concessional loans from a specialised fund for technology firms, said the state minister.

The technology sector is powered by the youth and there should be no misunderstanding with them, he said, adding that the government in line with the Smart Bangladesh vision is planning to train around one lakh youth for ICT skills.

Mobile internet was disconnected in Bangladesh for 18-28 July, while cable broadband disconnection left the country in an internet blackout for 18-23 July.

Social media platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp were reopened on 31 July.

The government said free 5GB mobile data in a three-day package will be offered to all subscribers, post-resumption of mobile internet. However, there have been complaints from subscribers in this regard.

Palak said subscribers who did not get the data package should file a complaint with the relevant mobile operator.