ICT: Information and communications minister, DN Dhungyel, is currently in Bangladesh to discuss modalities of getting additional bandwidth and a redundant or third international link to the internet for Bhutan.

At present, Bhutan’s initiative to bring in FDIs has not materialised to its full potential because of its single point-of-failure as posed by Siliguri’s “chicken-neck”, an information and communications ministry press release states. Moreover, the cost of Internet in Bhutan has also been impeded by the development progress of the ICT industry in Bhutan, it adds.

With the government’s initiative to establish a 3rd international gateway through Bangladesh, it will help Bhutan to address these issues, the press release points out.

The minister will visit Cox’s Bazar to see the Submarine Cable landing Station and to meet the senior officials of the Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company Ltd.

Lyonpo is also expected to meet with State Minister of Posts and Telecommunications of Bangladesh, Begum Tarana Halim to further discuss the modalities of getting additional bandwidth and an alternate international redundancy gateway.

Lyonpo is also scheduled to take part in the 20th Triennial Conference on Awami League, on behalf of the Prime Minister which takes place tomorrow in Dhaka.

The minister was in Bangladesh to attend the Digital World 2016 held on October 19. The event was organised to showcase ICT products, its potentials, and opportunities that ICT offers.

In conjunction to Digital World 2016, another event titled “Ministerial Conference” was also organised for leaders from the region to share their respective experiences in the field of ICT sector development and challenges surrounding the event’s theme “Digital Transformation”.

Staff reporter