Bangladesh's SEA-ME-WE-5 submarine cable operational after repair

Bangladesh has resumed operation of its second submarine cable, SEA-ME-WE-5, restoring full internet connectivity after two months of repairs.

Data transmission using the cable restarted Friday morning from Kuakata, said Saidur Rahman, general manager of operations and maintenance at Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company.

He said the severed cable is now fully operational. It took over two months to restore functionality.

The cable broke down around 440 kilometres away from Singapore’s western coast on Apr 20, disrupting data transmission between Kuakata and Singapore for over two months.

During this period, the country relied on its first submarine cable, SEA-ME-WE-4, and other alternatives, albeit with reduced internet speeds.

Upon the cable's disconnection, BSCCL had cited complex operational challenges in Indonesia's sea territory, requiring approximately a month to rectify. The final repairs took two months and eight days to complete.

Bangladesh’s internet bandwidth primarily comes through the two submarine cables. The first cable's landing station is in Cox's Bazar, while the second connects via Kuakata.