India and Bangladesh have signed a new deal under which India will supply electricity to Bangladesh in return for internet bandwidth that will help connect its North- Eastern states.
PM Modi and Sheikh Hasina thehindu
As part of the deal, Agartala in Tripura became India’s third Internet gateway. The first two are Mumbai and Chennai.
The leasing of international bandwidth for Internet at Akhaura (Bangladesh) to Agartala will allow people of Tripura to avail more reliable net connectivity.
BSNL has leased 10 GB bandwidth of Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company Limited from its Cox’s Bazar internet port.
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Currently Tripura is connected solely through the Siliguri corridor.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina launched the twin links through video conference.
India will supply 100 megawatt of electricity in return for 10 gigabits per second internet bandwidth.
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PM Modi described the step as historic as he nudged Dhaka to join the space cooperation with India.
“We have gateways in west and south but entire east was untouched. As part of my Act East policy, this gateway in the east is very important. The opening of eastern gateway in association with Bangladesh will bring connectivity to eastern region particularly Assam, Tripura and Sikkim,” PM Modi said.
“Today we are doing electricity and digital connectivity… we have to cooperate in space too. It is our desire that Bangladesh joins India in space satellite mission too,” he said.