Mobile phone operators in Bangladesh restored high-speed internet connectivity in Rohingya camps in Tekhnaf and Ukhiya of Cox’s Bazar nearly a year after restricting the services.
Posts and telecommunications minister Mustafa Jabbar told New Age that the telecom operators were allowed to restore 3G and 4G services based on the instruction from the relevant government authorities.
‘When the restriction was imposed, we had just followed their instructions and now allowed the operators to restore the connectivity following the instructions of the authorities,’ he said, without naming any individual or organisation.
The 3G and 4G mobile network was restored in the refugee camps about 11:00am, additional Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Shamsuddoha confirmed.
The mobile phone operators snapped third-generation (3G) and fourth-generation (4G) mobile phone services, specifically used for speedy internet connectivity in the camps, on September 10, 2010.
The government, however, kept 2G services meant for voice calls active and also allowed access to the internet but with extreme poor speed.
On September 1 last year, nine days prior to the move, the government lowered the speed of network connectivity at the camps for 13 hours from 5:00pm to 6:00am.
Earlier, the telecom regulator also asked the telecom operators to snap mobile phone connections which were issued to the Rohingya refugees in violation of the regulatory instruction.
Aiming to ensure national security and stability, the telecom regulator took the move following an instruction from the posts and telecommunications minister Jabbar.
In September 2017, the government instructed the telecom operators not to sell SIMs to the Rohingyas, warning them of regulatory measures if found issuing connections to the refugees.
After the government’s move, New York-based rights group Human Rights Watch on August 7 last year suggested that the Bangladesh government should end restrictions on Rohingyas’ freedom of movement and access to the internet and online communications.
Source: https://www.newagebd.net/article/114776/bangladesh-restores-3g-and-4g-networks-in-rohingya-camp