Bangladesh: Snapshot of the Internet around 1990

by Hakikur Rahman

2012.7.8/7.11/10.1/10.28

History of the Internet in Bangladesh is not that old like the developed world. The first Internet service was provided by Drik ICT that established and commenced operations as an Offline Internet service provider in 1992. Later on the company extended its services commercially from February 1994, and commenced operations as an Internet Service Provider (ISP) registered with the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) in the name of Drik Alokchitra Granthagar Ltd. In 2011, their license was upgraded by BTRC enabling Drik ICT to provide both Internet and Data communication services nationwide.

Another ISP, namely the Information Services Network (ISN) Limited started the first on-line Internet service on June 6, 1996 through a 64 kbps VSAT transmitting and receiving data via a Hong Kong Gateway. In the year 1997 and 1998, the company consolidated its operations to achieve high professional standard. In 1999 they initiated a joint venture agreement with a foreign partner. Currently, ISN is a Public Limited company and its shares have been traded in Stock Exchange since 19th May, 2002.

The VSAT base data circuit was commissioned for the first time in the country on June 4, 1996 and as mentioned above including ISN, other ISPs started their operations by providing their services to the public. In June 1996 the national polls results were made available to the netizens of the world through World Wide Web (WWW), as first of its kind of service in Bangladesh.

After the introduction of VSAT based Internet, the use of email increased exponentially. However, prior to it dialup links were used by those ISPs to communicate to an overseas e-mail server through international phone calls. The communication of emails took place using UUCP (Unix-to-Unix copy). Till mid-1996 the country saw only two ISPs and the client base was not well penetrated. But, in 1997 the client growth rate raised high through over a dozens of ISPs and since then the country has seen extended Internet penetration, especially due to high mobile penetration.

The lone Internet exchange, BDIX started its operation as a not-for-profit organization on August 01, 2004 and after the country being connected by the SEA-ME-WE 4 submarine in May 2006, the Internet penetration rate grow further and the cost of the Internet use reduced drastically, due to government policies, and advocacies by the civil societies. As of December 31, 2011 the total Internet users were 5,501,609. [InternetWorldStats 2012] According to the World Bank, during 1992-1996 their numbers were 2,591,222, and during 1997-2001 their numbers were 3,636,958.[World 2012] (Source).