Submarine cable link

Do we need to state the obvious about the multiple benefits of opening such a gateway being so enormous? Perhaps we do, given the way we have denied the services to ourselves for an inordinately long time. Internet usage and long-distance telephone calls will cost much less than being charged now; internet access and data transfer will be infinitely more speedy; and there is even the scope for IT-enabled value- added services e.g. call centre, tele-medicine, distance education at overseas universities in the horizon.

Better late than never. It's laudable on the part of the government that it is going to provide our IT infrastructure with a vital tool, a hugely missed link so far. Now, as for garnering funds, it's important that we value transparency and competitiveness in obtaining the best of terms.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

Access is not enough by itself; an opportunity is as good as its utilisation, and fuller the utilisation, greater evidently will be the value extracted from it. We have two specific suggestions to offer by way of ensuring maximisation of benefit from submarine cable networking: first, a level playing-field will have to be provided for the operators through a rationalised, consistent regulatory mechanism; and secondly, it will be of strategic importance for us to try and draw upon the experiences of successful international operators of the consortium we are going to be a part of.