DHAKA: The government is ready to launch ‘Switching and Access Network’ in the country’s seven divisional cities shortly as part of its agenda to build a ‘Digital Bangladesh’.

China has given technological and financial aid to Bangladesh in making the dream come into true.

Besides, this High Capacity Transmission, IP Network, Operating Support System (OSS) and IP Backbone are going to be established in every district town. The government is also promised to expand countrywide the facility of Broadband Network Connection as a part of forming “Digital Bangladesh”.

An access network is that part of a telecommunications network which connects subscribers to their immediate service provider. It is contrasted with the core network, which connects local providers to each other.

Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited (BTCL) will be responsible for the operation of the project. The total cost of the project was set as Tk 1,829-crore. The government will fund Tk 403-crore and the rest of the money will be funded by China. The project will be completed in June, 2014.

The China EXIM Bank Government Confessional has granted a loan to this project. Moreover, a Commercial loan agreement was signed between Bangladesh government and China authority in this regard.

Joint Chief of Posts and Telecommunication Ministry Md. Osman Goni Talukder told banglanews that the government is concerned to avail the internet services in science, governance, commerce, health, agriculture and other fields. The people will be able to use internet in a cheaper rate through this project, he added.

He also said that the mass people of the country will be benefited in many ways as Developing Human Resource, enhancing the opportunities at last but not at least in poverty alleviation.

The project will play a vital role to make a digital link across the country, he added.

Osman Goni further said that the Economic Relations Department (ERD) of China has confirmed about the financial aid.

Several programs of this project are forming IMS platform, creating seven thousands KM long telephone line, setting Optical Transport Network, setting IP network of BTCL etc.

A powerful networking Operating Support System is set in Dhaka which will work as a guardian of all networking programs and monitor others.

BDST: 1446 HRS, FEB 10, 2014