AGARTALA, July 13 (TIWN): Agartala is all set to become the third international gateway for internet service linking Bangladesh Cox Bazar, with the central government would spend Rs. 19.14 crore to create the infrastructure, including laying of Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) to avail the 10 gigabit bandwidth from Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company Limited (BSCCL), BSNL official said.According to the official, currently the work for laying the optical fibre cable is in progress and the engineers are actively engaged with the work for early completion of the entire project.The official said that the service linking Bangladesh with Agartala via Akhaura which would be the centre point to the international internet gateway for the rest of the country after Chennai and Mumbai is expected to be commissioned by 2016.“India had to give around Rs. 7.2 crore per year as rental fee to BSCCL to avail the telecommunication linkages,” said BSNL Chairman cum Managing Director (CMD) Anupam Shrivastava.Besides, BSNL NE-I Circle Chief General Manager (CGM) D. P. Singh said, “After more than four years of diplomatic and political parleys, the deal was signed between BSCCL and BSNL. The new system would be operationalised after laying the necessary OFC by January next year.”BSNL officials said it would take five to six months to have the connectivity from Cox's Bazaar's submarine cable.

At present, the state is having problem with the internet facility as its very slow and dependent on long route internet via Sillong/ Kolkata to submarine cable in Chennai.

Union Minister for Telecom Ravi Shankar Prasad laying the foundation stone recently said that the service which would be brought from the neighbouring country Bangladesh would not only serve the purpose of Tripura but also it would be extended to other northeastern states and also the rest of the country.

While addressing his key note CM Manik Sarkar said that even after several persuasions by Tripura Government the then central government had failed to get a nod of the project. “We earlier proposed to bring high speed internet service from the neighbouring country Bangladesh, but the then central government was in confusion with the agreement.”

Adding to that Sarkar said, “Later, the state government had managed to invite Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina here in Tripura where after being asked by BSNL authority, we again have taken up the matter with Hasina.”

However, agreeing to proposal the Bangladesh Government had later tied the nod of the project and assured that they would allow Agartala to take 10 Gbps internet connectivity, Sarkar said.

Sarkar said, at present Tripura is connected with Shillong, Kolkata and Guwahati but after Agartala is linked with high speed internet service with Bangladesh it would further cater the needs of the rest of the states in northeastern region. “Infact the entire world would be dependable on us once we get the service,” Sarkar added.

Besides, Tripura Governor Tathagata Roy who once served in Indian Railways, posted as a chief Engineer and also designed the Kolkata Metro Rail addressing the ceremony said, “I as a once served Indian Railways engineer, urged BSNL authority and the engineers engaged to the project work to put whole effort to value the project by maintaining its quality.”

Roy also said, this is a new era of communication between these two countries; with Bangladesh Government had always maintained a good relation with us.

The Governor said that he has a soft corner for the state and Bangladesh that surrounds it on three sides, as his forefathers had migrated from erstwhile East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).