A fire in the largest IT center in Bangladesh’s capital left tens of millions of people without communication
In Bangladesh, broadband internet services have been severely affected following a fire at the Khawaja Tower in Mohakhali, Dhaka, on Thursday afternoon. Mobile Internet and voice communications have also been affected, although to a lesser extent than the Internet.
The building houses the operational centers of several International Internet Gateway (IIG) service providers, data centers and switching stations (ICX) that served almost all of the country’s Internet traffic.
Currently, there are 12.15 million broadband Internet users in the country. Of those, approximately 40% – or about 5 million users – are experiencing outages, with many losing access to the network entirely. Meanwhile, those who still have access face slow internet speeds.
In addition, about 20% of the country’s mobile Internet users (119.79 million), or approximately 24 million customers, cannot connect to the Internet. It also affects voice calls and the use of various social networks, including Facebook, Messenger, and WhatsApp, according to the local newspaper DhakaTribune.
Broadband Internet is widely used in homes, offices and government agencies. Freelancers and outsourcers rely heavily on broadband because its speed and low latency are crucial to their work.
When asked about the situation by local journalists, Emdadul Haq, president of ISPAB, the organization representing ISPs in the country, said: “We received information that the fire is now under control, but we were not granted access to assess the damage. Our first priority is to restore fast internet. Devices that have burned out should be replaced and, if necessary, rapid air delivery should be considered. The sooner we get access, the sooner we can find a solution. Currently, 40% of the total number of broadband Internet users across the country remain without services“.
He noted that the Khawaja Tower houses two data centers, one of which, called NRB, was damaged by the fire. Without assessing the condition of the other data center, Dhaka Cola, it would be premature to estimate the damage, the ISPAB president added.
Authorities confirmed that 9 out of 10 IIGs located in Khawaja Tower have shut down. Each IIG provides bandwidth for 50-70 Internet providers. Thus, a significant number of providers (500-700) are currently unable to provide Internet services.
Ahmed Junaid, Secretary General of the IIG Forum, said: “Some IIGs, such as Level Three, Max Hub, Amra Networks, Earthnet, Vargo, and Windstream, were completely shut down. The switch to reserve IIGs has somewhat mitigated the effects. The third tier – Summit Communications, Fiber at Home, and Amara Networks – provides bandwidth for the country’s mobile operators. Currently, IIG Networks has completely ceased operations, while Level Three is operating at 95% capacity with minor capacity issues accounting for the remaining 5%.“.
Summit Communications and Fiber at Home, on the other hand, remain unscathed, providing uninterrupted bandwidth delivery. However, the remaining 20% of mobile Internet customers served by the other two IIGs face interruptions.
In addition, mobile operators are facing interconnectivity issues as ICXs located in Khawaja Towers have been affected. As a result, customers have difficulty making voice calls, experience delays and disconnections.
The Bangladesh Mobile Telecommunication Operators Association (MTLB) has issued a statement on the issue. They explained that the fire disrupted voice communication between mobile operators due to the presence of ICX in the building.
The mobile operators, in cooperation with the relevant ICX operators, are working diligently to restore the interconnection system in other locations, seeking to resolve the problem as soon as possible.
When contacted for comment, former ISPAB president Aminul Hakeem estimated the total damage from the Khawa Tower fire at more than 500 crores (about $60 million). Of these, IIG is likely to have incurred losses of between 300 and 350 crores.
He emphasized that devices damaged by fire or water cannot be repaired quickly, both because of their irreparable condition and because of a shortage in the market. According to Aminul, a timely solution to the problem depends on how quickly these devices can be procured.
Aminul continued: “The country currently uses a bandwidth of 5,000 Gbps. With the closure of IIG, the available bandwidth of 1200 Gbps is decreasing. While some ISPs support bandwidth backups from multiple sources, they provide limited assistance. Internet speeds will be compromised and accessibility may be severely affected“.
Bangladesh is a small country (only 24% of Ukraine), but very densely populated (over 160 million people) between India and Myanmar in Asia. Until recently, Bangladesh was a purely agricultural country with a poor population. But in recent years, thanks to the greater penetration of the Internet in the country, many people have been able to work as freelancers. Therefore, the problem with the Internet in the country is very acute.
