Agartala becomes India's third Internet gateway

Our Correspondent

Agartala, March 24: Agartala on Wednesday became India's third Internet gateway after Prime Minister rendra Modi and Bangladesh Premier Sheikh Hasi iugurated an Internet connectivity project between the two South Asian neighbours.

"Leasing of intertiol bandwidth for Internet at Akhaura to Agartala will allow people of Tripura to avail more reliable net connectivity," Exterl Affairs ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup tweeted.

After Cheni and Mumbai, Agartala is now India's third Internet gateway.

The leasing of the Internet bandwidth from Akhaura in Bangladesh to Agartala, apart from helping the people of Tripura to avail more reliable net connectivity, will also improve Internet speed in the entire Northeastern region.

India's BSNL has leased 10 GB bandwidth of Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company Limited from its Cox Bazar Internet port. This will also eble Bangladesh telecom operators to effectively monetise their already existing infrastructure.

Currently Tripura is connected solely through the Siliguri corridor.

Modi and Hasi on Wednesday also iugurated a power transmission project between the two countries.

"Connecting hearts. 100 MW power connectivity between Bangladesh & Palata (in Tripura) yet another link between the two countries," Swarup said in another tweet. India is already supplying 500 MW of power across the Behrampur-Behramara transmission link on the border between West Bengal and Bangladesh.

The new power connectivity from Palata will allow Bangladesh to address severe power shortages in its southeastern parts.

The decisions for these two projects were taken during Modi's visit to Dhaka in June last year.

Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister Modi hailed this as a historic moment in India-Bangladesh ties. He recalled the warm association that Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman shared with India. He welcomed the many avenues of cooperation that have opened up between the two countries in recent times, and praised the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasi, for taking forward Bangabandhu's vision and thoughts.

The Prime Minister said he attaches tremendous importance to the opening up of the new internet gateway in the eastern part of India, and said it would greatly benefit the Northeastern states by giving a boost to communication in the region. He highlighted the multiple channels of increased connectivity between the two countries in recent times, including road connectivity and digital connectivity.

The Prime Minister offered all support to Bangladesh, for the launch of the Bangabandhu satellite.

His Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasi reciprocated the good wishes when she described the event as a milestone in the relationship between the two neighbours. She stressed the need for extending regiol co-operation for benefit of all.

Chief Minister Manik Sarkar said it is a glorious beginning and recalled the co-operation Bangladesh government has extended in setting up the 726 MW Palata project. "It would have been impossible without their help," he said.

The Exterl Affairs ministers of both the countries, ministers for communication and other dignitaries participated in the video conference.