One of the founders of the initiative, Samiha Tahsin shared the inception of such initiative.
The inception of 'Bonton Connect': "One day in 2019, I was working in a restaurant beside my campus (BRAC University) when I needed to get online urgently, but the wi-fi of the restaurant and my mobile data were not working. Then, I saw a number of other private wi-fi networks near to me of which I did not have the passwords, and then it hit me -- what if we could pay for using other people's wi-fi whenever it is needed?"
She talked with her friend Omran Jamal, who had vast experience in working in various start-ups including Jobike, and the duo started the initiative. They are both students of BRAC University and currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in Computer Science and Engineering.
"In a building, almost all the neighbours know others' passwords for using them in case of emergencies. We thought of a unique idea where people would share their wi-fi and get paid for it," Samiha said."We started the market research and conducted customised interviews to see the ground reality. Back then, internet penetration was only 28 per cent. The situation has seen a little improvement in the last three years."
Such an idea is novel in Bangladesh, but not in the world. Wi-fi sharing initiatives have been around in the USA, the UK, the EU, and even in India. Recently, one such start-up has started its journey in Pakistan as well.
Security measures: Sharing wi-fi is quite an optimistic idea, however, it also comes with a number of security concerns as well. So, the questions of security concerns have been on Samiha and Omran's minds since the beginning.
"We have been pondering on the security measures from the very beginning, as such a shared network may cause issues for the host. So, we change the security settings of the router and configure the firewall. We put a password in for the host and maintain a strong firewall that guarantees security and privacy for the host."
When being asked about the chances of wi-fi sharing slowing down the internet and hampering the hosts' own experience, Samiha replied, "We have developed a system that recognises the traffic usage and if there is high consumption, the user will be transferred to another network that has a more surplus bandwidth. So the internet will not slow down at all."
Payment system: "The host receives 80 per cent of the income, while we take the rest," said Samiha, "Our goal is to make the internet affordable. We have initially used the bKash payment system, but we see that nearly 40 per cent of our users do not have bKash. So we have introduced an offline payment system as well, but it is still in a limited capacity."
The spread of the app: Currently, about 10 thousand users are taking the service inside Dhaka city. The concentration is higher in the old Dhaka, Keraniganj, Nawabpur, Kamrangir Char, Banani, Gulshan and Korail. Korail is an interesting case, as it is the largest slum in South Asia, and here many people are using the internet via Bonton Connect.
"We are so elated to see the response in Korail. The local tea stalls are our hub, where people buy the internet on an hourly basis. We have set up in-person payment services at local tongs too."
Outside Dhaka city, the demand is higher as internet penetration is thinner, and there are fewer routers too. There Bonton Connect works in partnership exchange with micro ISPs and small SMEs. The demand is particularly higher in Cox's Bazar and Chattogram.
Challenges: Any start-up is mired with various challenges and Bonton Connect is no exception. Samiha mentioned their challenges as well.
"The biggest challenge for us was the Covid-19 pandemic when the initiative was at a nascent state. We did not know what to do or how to proceed. Our survival was at stake. However, we have rebounded strongly."
She also spoke of other constraints. Internet penetration and infrastructure are at their preliminary state at places, so is the availability of routers. Technical know-how and knowledge gap make spreading the service outside Dhaka, as the rural areas lack efficient people who can work with the technology. Security concerns are also a field that the team has been working on relentlessly. It will take time to change people's habits as well.
Goals and future plans: The Bonton Connect team toils heart and soul to make the internet affordable and available for everyone. Their 12-member team has been working to achieve SDG goals for the country.
"We want to promote the internet for all, and then education, health, and business will benefit from such connectivity. Thus the country will go forward to achieving the SDGs," Samiha expressed her optimism, "Globalisation is knocking at our door. We want to reap its perks as much as we can."
Their next project is 'Bonton Moholla', where the local ISPs will be connected with the app, and from them, the sharing will be conducted. Thus the ISPs will see an increase in their business, and the people of the locality can share wi-fi among themselves.
Such aspiring young entrepreneurs are relentless in their pursuit of an accessible internet for Bangladeshi people, which should be lauded. They should be patronised by everyone concerned. Apps like 'Bonton Connect' may be the solution for the fast and digital life.
The writer is an undergrad student of the Department of Economics at the University of Dhaka.
shadique.mahbub.islam@gmail.com