BICMA facilities better internet services

Broadband users can now self-regulate the bandwidth provided by the operators with the help of software which will be made available for free.

Bhutan InfoComm and Media Authority (BICMA), in a move to facilitate the operators give better services and to emphasis evidence-derived regulations, tied up with LIRNEasia, an ICT policy and regulation think tank. LIRNEasia is based in Sri Lanka but works in all the South Asian countries and some South East Asian countries.

LIRNEasia had earlier presented a study on broadband quality in Bhutan. The study showed that the quality of connectivity among the national internet service providers was not up to acceptable international standards.

“It was revealed that one of the most pressing problems is connecting two internet service providers (ISPs) called “peering”. It shows that the quality of peering is not satisfactory,” said Wangay Dorji, the head of telecommunication division of Bicma.

The internet speed of the ISPs in Bhutan was above the international benchmark, which is 300 millisecond return trip time.

He said that Bicma felt the need to do something. “If we do not do anything, the traffic within Bhutan cannot be exchanged at the international level. If it has to be exchanged internationally, it has a lot of cost as well as bandwidth utilisation.”

As a regulator, rather than being reactive, we want to be proactive, he said.

The software, AT-Tester, developed by LIRNEasia will help the operators see where they stand and improve their services. This can be used to check speed at different intervals.

“The software has an important feature. You can test from different locality,” said Rohan Samarajiva, the CEO of LIRNEasia. He added that the software can also be used to compare price and speed even within regions.

This, Wangay Dorji said, will help individuals find the value of money they spend on the internet – whether they are spending the right amount for the right speed or they are getting overcharged. He said this will also help operators see where they stand in the competitive market.

The software can be downloaded for free from www.broadbandasia.info.

The operators have taken the initiative positively.

By Tandin Pem