Broadband and ICT Technology Application In Bhutan

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Broadband and ICT Technology Application In Bhutan

• Department of Information Technology
• Ministry of Information Communications
• ThimphuBhutan
• 3 5 August, 2005

Sonam Dukda
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Outline

• Current Scenario
• Projects
• Future Plans
• Applications

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Current Scenario

• Internet Introduced in 1999
• Bhutan Telecom, state-owned, only organization
  providing telecommunications service in the
  country
• 20 District HQ covered
• 78 Blocks out of 202 covered

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Current Scenario

• OPGW STM1 completed for the western part of the
  country
• 30,285 fixed lines activated
• Mobile cellular service started in 2003
• About 22,000 Mobile cellular subscriber

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Current Scenario

• ISPs
• Druknet, part of Bhutan Telecom
• Druknet international connectivity 6 Mbps Down
  and 4 Mbps Up
• Provides both dial-up and leased line
  connectivity from 64K to 2Mbps
• 2,989 dial-up registered (Dec.2004), 38 leased
  line customers
• 105 domain names under ccTLD.bt

Source Bhutan Telecom
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Current Scenario

• 2 new VSAT operators are operational, currently
  catering in the Capital City only

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Current Scenario

• Started in 1999, Bhutan Broadcasting Service
  offers TV service for 4 hours a day but limited
  to the capital city and few towns
• Cable TV
• 19 Districts have access but limited to towns
  only
• 35 cable TV operators

Source Bhutan Telecommunication Authority
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Projects

• Department of Information Technology
• Establishing Government-Wide Intranet (MAN) in
  the Capital City using Fiber Optic on going
• LAN for 20 Districts HQ on going
• 10 Multi-purpose Telecentres in the selected
  districts from August 2005
• 40 more funded by Microsoft 2005
• Broadband deployment for the whole country
  feasibility study 2005

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Existing OPGW
Planned OPGW
East-West Fiber Link
Microwave Link
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Projects

• Bhutan Telecom (BT)
• OPGW project completed in the western sector of
  the country bandwidth capacity of STM1 (155
  Mbps)
• Rural telephony project to establish 10 lines in
  all the blocks on going
• Bhutan Power Corporation (BPC)
• Established OPGW in the western Districts in
  collaboration with BT

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Future Plans

• To establish East-West fiber optic link
• BPC to establish OPGW in the eastern districts by
  2006 and central districts in 2007

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Applications

• A number of government-wide ICT applications have
  been developed
• Wide use has been limited due to lack of proper
  infrastructure
• A number of initiatives are taking place for
  e-government applications

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Conclusion

• Still in the process of deploying ICT broadband
  infrastructure in the country
• Learn from the other countries experiences

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• Thank you!