DHAKA: Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited (BTCL) is going to make wastage of at least Tk 5,000 crore in a project for selecting an undependable technology.
Though the project cost was estimated at Tk 6500 crore, this can be done costing only Tk 1500 crore, sources concerned informed.
BTCL has undertaken a project of setting up countrywide telecommunications net work infrastructure with a view to building digital Bangladesh, poverty reduction and ensuring good governance.
Under the project six more projects were undertaken. These are Telecommunication network development, 1000 union project, OFC upazila project, 1000 inaccessible union project and 4-GLTE project and Next generation (NGN) project.
The implementation cost of the above projects was estimated at Tk 6500 crore. The cost included GOB portion Tk 3198 crore while Tk 3318 was shown as project loan.
Experts opinioned the wastage is happening that due to faults in the planning. Former President of ISP Sumon Ahmed Sabir told banglanews that without any roadmap or any discussion with the stakeholders if any project is taken up, this type of huge wastage is likely to happen.
Moreover, it must be assessed that who will use this system, what is its utility and the necessity otherwise commercially it will not be viable. Sumon Ahmed also claimed that BTCL is not experienced enough in this field.
Experts claimed that out of the six projects Taka 1000 crore will be a wastage in setting fiber optical cable. Again in data network infrastructure for telephone services the use of conventional SDH equipments will incur wastage of Taka 1500 crore.
So these projects of BTCL will incur wastage of Taka 2500 crore. If these were done with the idea of build as you grow then the data infrastructure cost of Taka 1500 crore would have been enough. Whereas BTCL is going to spend Taka 5000 core for the project.
Experts opined that in rural areas for setting under ground cable it costs Taka 3.50 lakh per kilometer. The cost would have come down to Tk 35000 while if it is done by using rural electric infrastructure. The internationally accepted Arial fiber optic cable figure-8, ADSSF and so on can serve the purpose.
Beside there is wanting of skilled manpower in our country. In rural areas how much the under ground line will be safe, there is doubt. If there is any fault in the line there might not be any urgent arrangement for immediate repair.
In the country where most risky and urgent electricity supply line is not done under ground, but less risky cable line is being set up with excess expenditure even by taking foreign loan. So the matter should be given re-thinking, opined the experts.
In the project of BTCL for purchasing SDS transmission line huge expenditure has been earmarked. Sumon Ahmed Sabir told that making only 3 percent people target this sort of infrastructure is not essential. All must be brought under its purview.
Those people who will use data must be identified who will use it and why they will use it. On the basis of a total planning this type of big work should be done. And for that a road map is needed.
It will depend on the policy of the government whether it wants to build infrastructure on commercial basis or wants to build permanent infrastructure. If the government wants for commercial purpose then it will see no profit in ten years.
Even there is no guarantee that everybody will use it. Because the project should be framed according to the need of the rural people. So it needs discussion with the stakeholders.
Without assessing the need of the rural people setting of data infrastructure, under ground cable is nothing but wastage of money.
The infrastructure should be designed so that the rural people can be brought under its purview and it can ensure best use of the infrastructure.
BDST: 1750 HRS, APR 17, 2014
