Towards achieving Vision 2041: Shaping upICT infrastructure to expedite digitalization

Currently, less than 15 percent of MNOs sites/towers are fibre-connected, and this number needs to increase fast to support country digitalisation, sustainable growth and new technology adaptation. For example, developed markets have a percentage of fibre connected sites above 30 percent.

We are on the brink of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, driven by technological innovations and 5G technology as its driving force. We/Bangladesh can't miss this plan, and the telecom industry would be ready and proud to take this strategic role, bringing the country's digitalisation to the next level.5G puts enormous demands on infrastructure, in particular fibre. So 5G development should make holistic, national strategic plans for fibre infrastructure, turning challenges into opportunities and successes. And if we follow learnings from countries who were most successful in 5G development, the recipe is simple: open up all available fibre infrastructure for the telecom sector / MNOs. All fibre infrastructure, whether telco or utility, private-owned or public-owned, needs to be made available for the telecom sector and MNOs in particular: this infrastructure needs to be robust, reliable, and highly efficient.

Government can facilitate this plan in two main areas. First, fibre infrastructure needs to be declared as a strategic national resource. It needs to be safeguarded against continuous damage, interruption and abuse (i.e. every man-made damage to fibre infrastructure should be investigated and punished if found guilty). And as a strategic national resource, it should be made available. Second, open market competition should be allowed in NTTN services by allowing MNOs and other telecoms / ICT operators to build and share fibre infrastructure. And to make this infrastructure available to all contributors to country digitalisation, focusing on reliability, quality and efficiency. Therefore Government/regulator has a critical role in bringing necessary formulation/adjustment in the policy and guidelines.

For the self-reliant target of this country, telecom is going to play a vital role. It is a glue connecting all parts of government and all sectors today. Our bureaucracy, enforcements, health care workers, businesses all use connectivity to stay connected and deliver services to citizens, especially in the post-pandemic era. The telco industry is a platform that powers Digital Bangladesh, and fibre infrastructure is its backbone. So we need to get together, policy-makers and operators, apply a strategic national mindset and approach, and define a future-fit model to enable the industry that will be crucial to implementing the 2041 Perspective Plan, achieving all SDGs, and recovering economically in the aftermath of the pandemic.