Internet may slow for 4 days from today

Internet services in Bangladesh may experience slower speeds or partial disruptions for four days from today due to scheduled maintenance work on the country’s second submarine cable system, SEA-ME-WE-5.

According to a press release issued by Bangladesh Submarine Cables PLC, the SEA-ME-WE-5 (SMW5) consortium has undertaken maintenance work.

The work will begin at 10:00pm (Bangladesh time) today and continue until 6:00am on April 13.

During this period, maintenance is expected to affect traffic, particularly circuits connected to Singapore through the SMW5 submarine cable. As a result, users may face slower internet speeds or intermittent service disruptions.

However, the company noted that services will continue through the country’s first submarine cable, SEA-ME-WE-4, which will help maintain connectivity during the maintenance period.

The authorities said they will coordinate closely with the consortium to complete the work within the scheduled timeframe and restore normal services promptly.

Bangladesh Submarine Cables PLC also expressed regret for the temporary inconvenience caused to users and stakeholders.

Bangladesh’s total bandwidth consumption currently exceeds 10,000 Gbps. Of this, the SEA-ME-WE-5 submarine cable supplies around 1,488 Gbps, while the country’s first submarine cable, SEA-ME-WE-4, provides about 2,704 Gbps as of March.

The remaining capacity is sourced from India through international terrestrial cable operators via land-based connectivity.