The government's highest economic policy-making panel ECNEC on Tuesday approved five development projects with a combined cost of Tk 20.72 billion including a telecommunication network expansion project.
The approval came at the meeting of the executive committee of the national economic council (ECNEC) presided over by the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The state-backed Bangladesh Telecommunication Company Limited (BTCL) will upgrade its network across the country through the "Setting up of NGN-based Telecommunication Network" project at a cost of Tk 18.63 billion, planning minister AHM Mustafa Kamal told reporters after the meeting.
He said the Chinese government will provide Tk 14.53 billion in loans to help implement the project.
Under the project, the BTCL will expand the capacity of the existing telecommunication services including high-speed internet facilities for the land-phone holders.
The BTCL will set up a 700,000 capacity an Internet Protocol Multi-Media Sub-system (IMS) platform in Dhaka and another one in Chittagong.
UNB adds: Under the project, the low-capacity old transmission equipment at the existing exchanges of the BTCL for providing broadband internet services with voice call will be replaced with modern internet and multimedia-based transmission equipments.
For this reason, the existing copper-based main telephone network of the BTCL would be replaced with high-powered optical fiber cable network.
Planning ministry officials said with the implementation of the project, internet connections would be available up to village level while all government institutions would be connected through creating network at national level alongside creating scope for internet telephone and video conferencing.
Besides, it will be possible to provide internet connections at all primary and secondary schools and vocational training institutes at an affordable price.
The project will also ensure voice call alongside sharing of videos through internet by modernising the network of BTCL. As a result, some one million land phone users would be able to use internet services without new connections.
The ECNEC has also approved Tk 1.0 billion "Provision for Equipment and Professional Training for Ahsania Mission Cancer and General Hospital project", Tk 496.80 million Laksham (Doulatganj)-Nangalkot-Kodalia-Dhalua-Chittara Bazar road development project, and Tk 644.34 million "Establishment of safe place for fish at haor areas" & "Fish culture and management at haor areas (1st revision)" projects.
Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury and high officials of the government attended the meeting.
Source: http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2014/04/23/30292
