Residential Broadband Connections Are Never Getting Better in Dhaka
Eshan Maitra
When I moved to Old Dhaka from Dhanmondi, it took me a whole year before I could find a good broadband connection. Since, I’m no rich guy who only uses internet to flirt on the social networks. If you just typed something on google search and went to random websites, you should know what I am talking about. Not just studying and outsourcing stuffs. Internet is a vast land to be explored. But most of people in our country bounds themselves only with facebook, and few messenger apps. Even before android, it was only facebook. This is one of the big reason, internet connection is not that much widespread in our country. Because the demand itself is contradicting the improvement. The limited use also does not require broadband connection, since mobile mb is quite enough for such use. But the people who actually wants to use internet for good and variety of purposes aren’t getting heard. After all, about all of the Internet Service Providers (ISP) are private initiatives. Except charging with big taxes the Government does not do much in regulating internet providing. Though it is very true that, recent Government initiatives about improving the connections really boosted the field. Sadly, common people are getting benefited from that. Private companies only look for profits. That is why they mostly focus the economic sectors, such as offices’ and company’s network service. They are not much worried or cares about residential connections. Even Dhaka Broadband, the first ISP in Bangladesh, are rarely heard of by the average internet users. They simply do not care, sadly people also do not make much demand.
Now that I think about, even in Dhanmondi it took me about a year before stumbling onto a good ISP. By far, there are only few big ISP companies that actually has an internet service sector for residential use. Such as, Goti and SmileBD. Even those started by side initiators that Link3 and BDCom actually bought-in later. Connections like Mazeda, KS Network and Uturn etc. are also honorable mentions who are good ISP, that mostly scales down for residential purposes. Unfortunately, these names are not all that common to people. The biggest reason why there are countless lame ISPs are popping up out of nowhere. But little that they mention that, their connections are just bought from one of these big companies.
These goons think of internet connection as buying Mb, then sharing it like a hot-spot, but connected by wires, just like dish-line connections. They have their particular regions and they do not let others do business there. Also, they can charge whatever they want for the shitty service they provide, since they are single dominator of that area. Hence, the broadband connection is never controlled or given service from the actual experts of the HQ. Again, we are very aware of how electric wires and connections are brought to residents via khambas on road. These goons most of the times have some power and influence over the local, and because of the messy complications about making wired connections, the civilized companies avoid trifling with them. Most the times big ISP companies stick to economic and rich areas. Where there are more office connections, and residents are also very rich enough to afford very high grade broadband connections.
But did you know that. broadband connections are really cheap? There is no data limitation. Except some extra installation cost, monthly broadband bill for equivalent mobile internet connection about, is less than 1 quadrant of what you pay for. Also with recent fiber optics connections you do not have to worry about losing network ever! That is, unless you are using some bought Mbs by the local goon’s (Boro Vai’s) internet connection. Then, your connection is probably given by decades old CAT Wires. The thing about CAT wires, they can be easily cut using a simple blade. Why did I mention that? There happens to be locality rivalry I just mentioned earlier. As a result, often the opposing ISP would cut off other’s connection, without giving no fuzz about you. That’s how politics and business work my friend.
So if you really want to use some good internet, go for big ISP. You gotta make personal calls to them. Do some research on the internet and find out which one of the big ISP companies cover your area. No matter wherever you live, there will always be one of them in your area. I had to call for 2 months before I could get a new connection where I currently live. I was the first one who took their connection in this area, and brought them here. But following me, many others are now using too. They set up server boxes here and assigned staffs to take care of the matters here. These kinds of ISPs have expert engineers and servers to keep constant flow of internet. Also their connections much stable and with fixed reasonable monthly bills. There are already 3 goon connections in my golli. But in spite of being a big ISP company, my ISP also has some inside power to give security to our connection. Also, it is brought by fiber optics, set up high on the electrical poles. Harder to reach and since it is no ordinary CAT wire, it blends in with any other black wires there. Means, the goons won’t be cutting my line here like they did in Dhanmondi. If you are really in need of good internet service, make the demand and bring their business to you. The government apparently has better works to do than regulating how ISPs work. They made it easy for them to business with less tax and cheap for the people. Internet by broadband connection is very cheap now by the latest national budgets and you should take advantage of it.