Connectivity Providers Database

From: Z H Jewel <jewel@univdhaka.edu> To: Maria Dolores Lizarzaburu <mlizarza@uoregon.edu> Time: Wed, 22 Mar 2006 07:59:40 +0600 Subject:Re: The Academic and Research Network in Bangladesh Dear Maria, At present there is not an Academic or Research network in Bangladesh. In the beginning of 1996, we first think to set up an academic and research network in Bangladesh named BERNET (Bangladesh Education and Research Network). The network started in mid 1998 with limited connectivity. You can find the topological map of BERNET at http://www.ugc.org/bernet.htm But in 2003 we gave it up. The reasons, according to my personal view, are: 1. It is not easy to get country wide data connectivity available in our country. 2. Only BTTB (Bangladesh Telephone & Telegraph Board) provides DDN service for data network, but does not cover the whole country and this is not cost effective for the academic and research institutions. 3. There are not resource or content developed by the academic or research institutions of our country that can be used by others. 4. Most of the decision makers of every sectors of our country solely think of Internet bandwidth and are not aware of Intranet. So whenever we try to talk about the academic network, the decisions are restricted to Internet Bandwidth. When we were connected with BERNET we used only Internet Bandwidth of BERNET and talked about its Internet Bandwidth but we could not go beyond Internet. So everybody gave up and tried to setup up their own VSAT or Leased Internet connectivity. Therefore, other than Internet, there isn't Network infrastructure for Academic and research activities. That is most of the institutions find each other via Internet. Kind regards, Mohd. Zulfiquar Hafiz (Jewel) <jewel@univdhaka.edu> Associate Professor Institute of Information Technology University of Dhaka Dhaka - 1000 Bangladesh.