An internet service provider in Bangladesh plans to launch significant improvements to the country’s internet networking plans. The company in discussion, ICC Communications is working on establishing an internet subscription which offers up to 100 Mbps of speed and an Internet Protocol Telephony and Television service. We’ll be looking at what each service brings to the table and the possible impact they might have on the daily lives of the citizens of Dhaka.

A Probable Pioneer

ICC Communications is a Mirpur based privately owned internet service provider and while their website doesn’t provide any substantial info on their operations, services or prices, it does show they have lofty ambitions. Most internet users in Bangladesh still face the age-old dilemma of internet blackouts mainly due to harsh weather or some guy who has an unexplainable fetish of snipping off cables. ICC has set their eyes to eradicate this problem by establishing an underground network of fibre-optic cables and although its only currently being developed in the Gulshan sector of Dhaka, they plan to push development to all other existing sectors fairly soon. This is a significant improvement that everyone sorely needed and undoubtedly will be greatly appreciated given the promises are kept.

Luxury Protocols

Bangladesh has recently caught up in the television set top box market, but an IPTV service can make set top boxes or dish cables obsolete. IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) is live television delivered through your internet/Wi-Fi to your internet enabled viewing devices. (Or use Chromecast for your internet disabled TVs). You can also record previously broadcasted shows and have available to you, VOD (Video on Demand) and streaming services. IPTV connections are commonly used in service or corporate buildings that require a single and constant television service such as receptions, common rooms, hospitals and hotels.

IP Telephony (Internet Protocol Telephony) is a technology that is generally used to transfer voice, fax and other information using an internet’s packet-switched connections opposing to the commonly used circuit-switched telephone network and is mainly used to share/transfer calls or documents in large office environments. You can see this in its general use in the form of WhatsApp or messenger calls. An IP Telephony connection in the office means no hassle when transferring calls from reception and a faster method of communication which can lead to increased productivity and increased progress in the workflow.

Need for Speed

For technical purposes, internet speed is defined as the volume of data transferred through a connection in a given amount of time. As time passed, the need for higher internet speeds has significantly rocketed. Nobody wanted to wait when their YouTube videos started buffering every three frames. A faster internet speed obviously makes everything you do online a much better and smoother experience. A 100 Mpbs internet connection doesn’t compare to the gigabit internet services being set up abroad and some might even say “It’s about damn time” but is it really necessary for an everyday guy?

100 Mbps of internet offers 12.5 Mbps of Bandwidth/download speed which is sufficient for streaming Ultra HD Netflix on 4 different TVs simultaneously and a monthly subscription may cost up to Tk. 10, 000. A 40 Mbps service costing only Tk.3000 monthly is sufficient for an everyday man’s internet needs of effortless streaming and high-speed data exchange. For online gamers, broadband speed takes a backseat to ping. Latency determines faster transmissions while the former implies an uninterrupted gaming experience.

A 100 Mpbs internet is most useful for large institutions like Universities or Corporations who have a large number of people networking and relaying information at once at an increasingly demanding rate.

A high-speed internet service might do the office economy in Dhaka a lot of good, but it doesn’t impact regular lives as much as we’d like to think but if you’re an enthusiast of ludicrously high speeds and need everything done within a blink of an eye, sure go for it.