Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN) – The government has reduced bandwidth charges by 40 percent only for call centres to make the sector internationally competitive, officials said.

Under the new provisions, the call centre owners will pay BDT 6,000 for per MBPS (megabit per second) instead of BDT 10,000, which is applicable for other users.

The Bangladesh Association of Call Centre and Outsourcing (BACCO) welcomed the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC)’s latest decision saying that the decision will help the sector withstand competition from Indian firms.

BACCO President Ahmadul Hoq, however, said the sector will not get the much-needed boost without second submarine cable that will ensure smooth connectivity with the world.

“We’re facing problem to get outsourcing work from foreign companies for not having strong IT infrastructure, though the country has the opportunity for its low cost price,” the BACCO president was quoted by the Financial Express (FE), a local newspaper, as saying.

Mr. Hoq suggested that the government should set a timeframe for installing the second submarine cable so that the sector could ready its next business plan.

BBN/SSR/AD-16Nov11-10:34 am (BST)