Page 70 - ICE BUSINESS TIMES February 2020

Connectivity
FROM
APES TO
APPS
The evolution of the internet in Bangladesh
By Munira Fidai
1900s- The internet hit
Bangladesh in the early 1900s and
the popularity has climbed ever
since. Back then, there were
dial-up connections which
provided access to email. The dial
ups were provided using the usage, thanks to its speed and
bulletin board systems which back
then were provided locally by very
few service providers. Considering
the level of popularity of the net
and the internet literacy of people,
the number of internet users did
not even exceed 500. Albeit providers at first. However, by
difficult to use and disruptive to
landline phone services, internet
64
is that by the year 2000, the
number of internet users had
risen to a whopping 186,000!
And this wasn’t even a 0.1% of
market penetration, indicating
that the country still had a long
way to go.
2006- In May 2006, Bangladesh
saw the inauguration of a new
submarine cable optic
connectivity which at first was
convenience, did not take long to part of a 6 country consortium
catch on. but 2 years later in 2008, the
1996- Bangladesh commissioned its Submarine Cable Project became
first VSAT base data circuit in the the Bangladesh Submarine
country and the BTTB gave out Cable Company Limited and
licenses to two internet service currently handles all submarine
cable related services.
2005, this number had risen to 180 2009- The country saw a rise in
ISPs! What’s even more incredible the number of internet users
Unethical Practices in the
World of the Net
Many of the apps and social media
platforms use personal information of
the users, such as contact
information, shopping preferences, etc
to give consumers a more
personalized app experience. This
enables the social media platforms to
generate profits through
advertisements. While many
consumers debate for this practice,
others feel that the peddling of
consumer preferences and contact
from 186,000 to 617,300 but it was Digital Bangladesh initiative and information is a breach of privacy and
still not even 1% of the population of already has 1.17 crore users with the the sites and apps have no right to
the country. The slow catch on of the numbers increasing daily. With 4G, a share such sensitive information with
internet was attributed to higher user can get up to 7.5mbps speed in advertisers. This is an ongoing debate
internet usage costs, poor service Bangladesh. The government plans to but users of the internet now have a
quality, lack of content in the Bangla introduce 5G internet this year which number of ways to hide their personal
language and a host of other problems. in theory could deliver up to 1gbps of information through avoiding cookies,
2011- A phenomenal growth year for speed. going incognito, and a host of other
internet usage in Bangladesh, the ways.
number of users grew by an The Current Scenario and
unbelievable 900%, incorporating 3.5% Diversity of Use From Dial Up to 5G- How
of the total population of the country, Currently, the use of internet is not Growth of the Country is
all in 2 years. This happened thanks to limited to emails only as it was in the
the wave of smart phone access that 2000s. The internet, paired with smart Linked to the Growth of
took over the country during this time. phones provide all kinds of Internet
The then President of Internet Service convenience to its users from home Shams Jaber, the founder of Tech
Providers Association of Bangladesh delivered food, to providing Academy, mentioned that the speed of
mentioned that usage was increasing comfortable car rides to selling the internet has greatly affected the
by 15-16% a year. That year, it was products and services online and even teaching they do at Tech Academy.
estimated that the rising internet peddling entertainment through social “When the internet came to phones it
penetration in the country would networking sites, apps and games. was a big leap.” He also mentioned
contribute at least 2.6% to the country’s Microsoft 365 even offers basic app that children these days will never
GDP by the year 2020 and create at formations which gives amateur users know what it is to be without a
least 129 thousand more jobs by then. tutorials on building small apps for computer because it is now on the
2012- Between June and August in palms of everyone’s hands. Avenues
2012, a disruption caused by a cable themselves. like Tech Academy, internet schools,
cut in the optical fiber connection online courses and other learning
slowed down the internet connection The Rise of the Net and the forums have boomed under the speed
in Bangladesh which gave rise to the Rise of Cyber Crime of the net. Online businesses now
construction of the Kuakata Due to a sudden rise in the usage of hold a major portion of the business
Submarine Cable Project in order to internet in Bangladesh, a host of pie in Bangladesh and e-business has
provide better transmission. The internet related problems have also raged like never before. Service
project was completed towards the end cropped up. These range from sensitive providers have found convenient ways
of 2016 and was up and running by information peddling to hacking and to provide their services to customers.
2017. identity theft to leakage of sensitive Doctor consultations to medicine
2019- The internet is said to be largely personal information to sexual cyber deliveries are now possible with a
an urban privilege due to hitches in crime and abuse. As the cyber security click. Even regular businesses and
distribution. However, due to and cyber crime division of corporations use the internet for
government initiatives like providing Bangladesh struggles with this new almost all of their work now, making
online government services, providing form of crime, it continues to rise with connectivity with stakeholders and
internet connections in government each passing year. In 2013, there were monetary transactions easier and
related work and open hotspot zones, only 3 reported cases of cyber crime. In faster. While the net comes with its
growth of users has increased. The 2014, the number had gone up to 33, fair share of problems, its contribution
government has since then introduced up to 152 in 2015, 233 in 2016 and to the growth of the nation is
4G internet in the country as part of its 568 in 2017. undeniable.