Bangladesh Submarine Cables PLC (BSCPLC) has said the country faces no current or future risk of international bandwidth shortage, rejecting recent media reports that suggested vulnerabilities in submarine cable systems and possible supply constraints.
The state-owned company, under the Posts and Telecommunications Division and listed on the stock exchange, currently operates two trusted submarine cable systems — SEA-ME-WE-4 and SEA-ME-WE-5 — forming the backbone of Bangladesh’s international connectivity.
According to BSCPLC, the combined design capacity of the two systems is around 7,200 Gbps, of which about 4,100 Gbps is currently being supplied, while a further 3,100 Gbps remains available. The company said overall capacity can be expanded further through technical upgrades.
The organisation said only around 100 Gbps of total capacity routes through the Red Sea, representing about 1.34 per cent of the system, while there is no connectivity via the Strait of Hormuz. The remaining bandwidth routes through Singapore and Chennai, keeping the network independent of key geopolitical chokepoints such as the Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb straits.
BSCPLC said claims suggesting Bangladesh could face a “digital blackout” due to Houthi or Iranian actions are unfounded.
On SEA-ME-WE-5, the company said the system’s lit-up capacity is 2,200 Gbps, of which 1,488 Gbps is currently in use, leaving 712 Gbps unused capacity. The cable’s design life extends until 2037 and can be extended further through consortium agreements.
On SEA-ME-WE-4, BSCPLC said reports describing it as near end-of-life are misleading. The system has a capacity of 4,650 Gbps, of which around 2,595 Gbps is in use, with an operational lifespan currently set until 2030 and extendable if required.
Looking ahead, BSCPLC said it is implementing SEA-ME-WE-6, which is expected to be operational in early 2027. The system will add around 30,000 Gbps capacity across the Cox’s Bazar–Singapore and Cox’s Bazar–Mumbai routes, taking total national submarine cable capacity to about 38,000 Gbps.
The company said it is fully prepared to meet both current and future bandwidth demand, adding that there is no risk of international bandwidth shortage for Bangladesh.
It also urged operators, service providers and the public not to be influenced by what it described as misleading reports, and reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining secure, reliable and sovereign submarine cable infrastructure supporting Bangladesh’s digital connectivity.
