W ho We Are
BDIX is the first Internet Exchange Point (IXP) of Bangladesh. It was established to provide physical interconnection for its members to exchange and route local Internet traffic locally through it. So far more than 110 Organisations of different types (ISPs, mobile operators, content providers) are peering through BDIX. Throughout its existence BDIX has maintained leadership of the fast-developing Internet industry of Bangladesh by providing high quality services that provided fast, cost-effective and efficient Internet connections for members and their customers. Like most other IXPs of the world BDIX is run with membership fees paid by the connected members, and are operated for the benefit of the members and the Internet community at large. For its financial operations members pay a monthly or annual fee, usually determined by the speed of the port or ports which they are using. The membership fees are very modest in comparison with the amount of potential saving of upstream transit costs by the members.
BDIX is a not-for-profit venture of the Sustainable Development Networking Foundation (SDNF) Bangladesh. SDNF is a transformed entity of Sustainable Development Networking Programme (SDNP) a project initiated by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Bangladesh under its Sustainable Environment Management Programme (SEMP) project and implemented by Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS).
In the Beginning
Since 2004, BDIX has been working to improve Internet infrastructure in Bangladesh by supporting the intercommunication between different ISPs in the country. It also assists its development in several ways. The conception of BDIX began when some pioneering ISPs of Bangladesh (BDCOM Online Ltd, ISN, BOL, Link3 Technologies Ltd, AccessTEL etc) intended to link their networks together to save the cost and time delay (latency) involved in routing data across themselves. Due to lack of technical knowledge of setting up of a IXP and sufficient financial support the task was not easy and challenging too. At that time all parties indicated a willingness to join in, and the idea of establishing BDIX was came in to being.
Based on the expressed desires of the ISPs, during early 2004 Dr. M. Asaduzzaman and Dr. Hakikur Rahman, then director and coordinator of SDNP project, originated the idea of creation of a Bangladesh based Internet exchange point (IXP). Initially UNDP provided the equipments to BDIX (switches, routers etc). Office space was rented at Pantha Path, Dhaka for setting up its physical infrastructure.
The exchange of first sets of data through BDIX exchange was a momentous event for the ISP community of Bangladesh. BDIX acknowledges with gratitude the technical and management support as well as sheer encouragement from a few individuals. While many persons helped, the support from Mr. Sumon Ahmed Sabir of Fiber@home Ltd., Mr. Gaurav Raj Upadhaya of PCH, Mr. Philip Smith of APNIC, Mr. Peter Losher of ISC and other technical specialists and persons with national and Internal reputation in this field was very crucial.
MRTG Graph of BDIX
Day Graph
BDIX Total Bandwidth, Day Graph (5 Minutes Average), The statistics were last updated on:
Statutory/ Legal Status
BDIX remained an integral part of SDNP till the end of the project after which it received interim permission from Bangladesh Telecommunication Regularity Commission (BTRC) for its operation. BDIX was registered under the Trust Act, 1882 (Act no. II of 1882 ) of Bangladesh on 2013. As of June 18, 2014 Bangladesh Internet Exchange (BDIX) has received formal operational license from BTRC for 15 years to operate as National Internet Exchange (NIX) in Bangladesh. From the beginning of its formation, BDIX operated as a non-profit organisation. The present license also keeps its not-for profit status.
Vision and Mission
The vision of BDIX is to provide state-of-the-art Internet Exchange Point services by offering technically efficient services in a friendly and courteous manner to its members and the general Internet community of the country at large. Its ultimate goal is to provide technically efficient, reliable and cost effective internet services to the people in Bangladesh. To this end, BDIX in due course will establish peering exchanges in different divisions of the country and to join other exchanges in the neighboring countries of the region to develop a regional exchange among the IXPs for enhanced service delivery and facilitate faster internet-based communication.
Objectives
To promote, develop, operate, manage and sustain any form of information exchange points (including but not necessarily confined to Internet exchange, root servers, domain name servers, country code top level server, network operation centers) nationally, regionally and locally through various technical and organizational means for the development of information management capabilities in the country. To establish, operate and maintain an Internet Exchange, knowledge centers, research facilities and such other forms of institution, both general and technical, for the purpose of generation, processing and diffusion and exchange of knowledge related to various types of human activities (economic, social, cultural, organizational, legal, educational, R&D and such others) among the people or specific target groups within and outside the country. To initiate, develop and maintain professional links with organizations and individuals with aims and objectives of similar nature nationally and internationally.
Management Team
Professionally highly skilled staffs are working at BDIX to run the organization efficiently. This includes persons from network and system engineering, vendor and external relation management, business development and finance and administration.
What is Next
In near future BDIX intends to start collaboration with organisations like Google, Akamai, Facebook and other likeminded organisations to provide their services in Bangladesh. It has a ultimate vision to join other exchanges of the region to develop a regional exchange with the Internet Exchanges of other neighboring countries.