AGARTALA, April 12 (TIWN): Although BSNL high official claims that Internet Bandwidth is providing service in full swing without any hurdles but the ground reality is that there is no difference in the telecommunication or the internet service in the state. The much hyped internet bandwidth service which was inaugurated with much enthusiasm on March 23 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladeshi Premier Sheikh Hasina through video conferencing is although now providing service from Bangladesh without any hurdles but so far there is no visible development in the service. According to BSNL high official there is no problem in getting service. Now question arises if there is no problem in getting service then why there is no development in the service. State is now getting super-fast internet service which is provided through the unspent bandwidth in the neighbouring country’s Cox Bazar from March 23 but Tripura continue to suffer under poor infrastructural set up for making the best utilisation of the service.

It is to be mentioned here that the agreement for the internet bandwidth was initially signed for the tenure of four years. According to the agreement, India will gain 10 Gbps (gigabits per second) bandwidth in the first year and by the subsequent year it will go up to 40 Gbps per second.

India-Bangladesh surplus under-sea internet bandwidth (10 Gbps) sale agreement was signed on June 2015 during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit at Dhaka in presence of Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina.

As per the agreement, Bangladesh government would allow the BSNL to use 10 GB Internet connectivity which could bring a revolution not only in the northeast but also some mainland states. The BSNL will have to pay Rs 7.2 crore annually to Bangladesh for using submarine cable laid at Cox Bazar.

According to the reports, Bangladesh has agreed to sell the unused submarine Internet bandwidth to the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) for $ 1.2 million (Rs 7.7 crores) a year. However, question arises will the state government make the true utilisation on the internet bandwidth service for the development of the state.

 The state is now the information technology hub in north-east India and also plays a vital role in eastern India as far as internet connectivity is concerned.

The commissioning of Agartala as third internet gateway, after Chennai and Mumbai, will boost the economy of the state and can bring a revolution, if utilised in true manner.

It is a golden opportunity for the IT Industry and the economic roadmap of Tripura as the Indo-Bangladesh surplus undersea internet bandwidth lease agreement was signed during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Dhaka during June 6-7 in the presence of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.