Bonton Connect: Helping Bangladesh get one more step closer to achieving SDGs


*To be successful in the truest sense, bringing a positive change is necessary. Bonton Connect is on a mission to democratize the internet and has its company goals aligned with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By reinventing the distribution of a digital necessity — the internet — Bonton Connect is helping Bangladesh get closer to truly becoming Digital Bangladesh.*

Set by the United Nations and adopted by all UN member states, [Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)](https://sdgs.un.org/goals) are a set of 17 goals that the [193 member countries](http://www.un.org.cn/info/6/620.html#:~:text=Sustainable%20Development%20Goals%20Officially%20Adopted%20by%20193%20Countries,-Sustainable%20Development%20Goals) are aiming to achieve by 2030. Via this global partnership, [five pillars of sustainable development](https://unfoundation.org/blog/post/the-sustainable-development-goals-in-2019-people-planet-prosperity-in-focus/) - namely, people, planet, prosperity, peace, and partnerships - are to be worked upon. These pillars also reinstate how intertwined the SDG framework is as it has taken into account poverty eradication, improved education, equality, and economic growth all the while being aware of climate change and biodiversity preservation. 


## SDGs in Focus

The three SDGs in focus are:

* [**#9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure**](https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal9) - Industrialization needs to be made inclusive and sustainable while also fostering innovation. Only through the inclusion of technology can long-lasting solutions to economic as well as environmental issues can be found. Communication infrastructure needs to be solidified so that no group is excluded from progress.

* [**#10 Reduced Inequalities**](https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal10) - Inequality in multiple forms exists within and among countries. It is a pressing problem that needs to be dealt with to ensure a country’s development benefits everyone. Vulnerable communities find themselves in a poverty trap due to their limited resources. 

* [**#11 Sustainable Cities and Communities**](https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal11) - Rapid urbanization entails its problems. Urban sprawl and a rising number of slum dwellers are leading to a worsening of quality of life. Urban planning is vital to create inclusive and sustainable cities and communities.

## What role does Bonton Connect play in the achievement of SDGs?

At its core, Bonton Connect makes internet connection affordable. Using its shared economy platform, users can have unlimited internet access by only paying BDT 5 to BDT 10 daily. To put things into perspective, someone belonging to the bottom 20% of the income distribution has to spend [11.4%](https://1e8q3q16vyc81g8l3h3md6q5f5e-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Bangladesh-National-ICT-Household-Survey.pdf) of their monthly earnings to purchase 1 GB of mobile data - the medium consumption volume. With [96.5%](https://1e8q3q16vyc81g8l3h3md6q5f5e-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Bangladesh-National-ICT-Household-Survey.pdf) of internet users depending on cellular networks for the internet, access to the internet being seemingly a luxury is an acute problem. 

### Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

![SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure](../post-images/6-5-21-sdg-9.png)

Bangladesh does have the infrastructure in place to ensure internet access to the majority of the country - [93%](https://www.gsma.com/mobilefordevelopment/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Keeping-Bangladesh-connected-The-role-of-the-mobile-industry-during-the-COVID-19-pandemic.pdf?fbclid=IwAR2t3YRleO8lQlYVWQV8-w2xrY4ViYDVLOoyPOi4CtVbQ60v4OezFSZbnI0) of the population is covered by the 3G network. However, till 2020, only [28%](https://www.gsma.com/mobilefordevelopment/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Achieving-mobile-enabled-digital-inclusion-in-Bangladesh.pdf) of the population was dependent on mobile data. This is where Bonton Connect steps in with its innovative approach to democratize internet access.

The telecommunication industry is capital intensive and hence, to recoup their high costs, telecoms charge a hefty price. This ends up excluding a significant proportion of the country from being a part of the bigger picture - the industrialization of Bangladesh as its reliance on the manufacturing sector increases. With its peer-to-peer wifi-sharing marketplace, Bonton Connect brings an innovative flair to the archaic telecommunication industry. By making the internet affordable, the industrialization and further development of Bangladesh can be made more inclusive. When more young minds will get to know about the country’s economic and environmental challenges, only then would they be able to propose more inventive solutions.

Due to COVID-19, the number of internet users soared to [112.71](http://www.btrc.gov.bd/content/internet-subscribers-bangladesh-january-2021) million with an internet penetration rate close to [28.8%](https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2021/04/26/bangladesh-charts-9m-new-social-media-users#:~:text=Internet%20penetration%20in%20the%20country,January%202020%20and%20January%202021.) in January 2021. Mobile internet subscribers stand at [103.19](http://www.btrc.gov.bd/content/internet-subscribers-bangladesh-january-2021) million, comprising 91.6% of the entire internet user base. The pandemic has substantially increased the reliance on the internet - approximately [16% to 29%](https://www.gsma.com/mobilefordevelopment/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Keeping-Bangladesh-connected-The-role-of-the-mobile-industry-during-the-COVID-19-pandemic.pdf?fbclid=IwAR2t3YRleO8lQlYVWQV8-w2xrY4ViYDVLOoyPOi4CtVbQ60v4OezFSZbnI0) more data consumption. Additionally, this being a difficult time for everyone, telecoms have taken [multiple short-term measures](https://www.gsma.com/mobilefordevelopment/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Keeping-Bangladesh-connected-The-role-of-the-mobile-industry-during-the-COVID-19-pandemic.pdf?fbclid=IwAR2t3YRleO8lQlYVWQV8-w2xrY4ViYDVLOoyPOi4CtVbQ60v4OezFSZbnI0) to improve the affordability of mobile data. The question is, for how long will these discounts continue? 

It is highly unlikely that telecoms will continue these discounts for long as they are already facing higher taxes - increased supplementary duty from [10% to 15%](https://www.thedailystar.net/budget-2020-21-mobile-phone-users-pay-more-1912673) -  and decreased earnings - an [8.2%](https://www.gsma.com/mobilefordevelopment/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Keeping-Bangladesh-connected-The-role-of-the-mobile-industry-during-the-COVID-19-pandemic.pdf?fbclid=IwAR2t3YRleO8lQlYVWQV8-w2xrY4ViYDVLOoyPOi4CtVbQ60v4OezFSZbnI0) fall in revenue along with a [6.5%](https://www.gsma.com/mobilefordevelopment/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Keeping-Bangladesh-connected-The-role-of-the-mobile-industry-during-the-COVID-19-pandemic.pdf?fbclid=IwAR2t3YRleO8lQlYVWQV8-w2xrY4ViYDVLOoyPOi4CtVbQ60v4OezFSZbnI0) fall in EBITDA. This further highlights why innovations like Bonton Connect are desperately needed. 

### Reduced Inequalities

![SDG 10 - Reduced Inequalities](../post-images/6-5-21-sdg-10.png)

Inequality in Bangladesh is increasing which is showcased by the rising Gini Coefficient - [from 0.458 in 2010 to 0.482 in 2016](https://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/news/inequality-all-time-high-1745569). As Bangladesh enjoys further economic development, the gap between the rich and poor will become wider. Moreover, with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the situation will very likely exacerbate.

Hence, steps need to be undertaken to stop the situation from worsening further. Access to the internet brings numerous opportunities to people and hence, is a powerful weapon to eradicate poverty and inequality. Ensuring a uniform quality of education in schools of all the 64 districts is an uphill battle and will likely take decades. Educational technology has significantly improved but there is only one barrier stopping people from reaping its benefits: the internet. If the connection between students in rural areas and edtechs is built, these students can attain education of global standards. 

Internet access is a necessity but the heavy price tag on it definitely shows otherwise. Bonton Connect ensures that people are not required to pay a significant portion of their incomes to buy a meager volume of internet. It ensures that something that is vital for prosperity is within the reach of everyone.

Moreover, lack of access to the internet is also causing women to fall behind their male counterparts. In Bangladesh, women are [29%](https://www.gsma.com/r/gender-gap/) less likely to own a mobile phone and are [52%](https://www.gsma.com/r/gender-gap/) less likely to use mobile data. [A significant proportion of women only use the internet at home](https://1e8q3q16vyc81g8l3h3md6q5f5e-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Bangladesh-National-ICT-Household-Survey.pdf) which is likely to have a strong linkage with mobile data being expensive. For women empowerment and reduced gender gap, women need to have access to the same amenities as men. While Bonton Connect provides the same solution to everyone, it may seem to be more beneficial to those who are victims of lower wages. 

Smartphone prices are rapidly falling and are expected to be in the hands of [138 million](https://data.gsmaintelligence.com/api-web/v2/research-file-download?id=30933394&file=Country%20overview%20Bangladesh.pdf&fbclid=IwAR2FO3Anq51pnOOH0-FMdL0EK-3vYOxqwa3w2d4nghYpSAU0CGSNIVG07Wk) users by 2025 - that is, a [75% adoption rate](https://data.gsmaintelligence.com/api-web/v2/research-file-download?id=30933394&file=Country%20overview%20Bangladesh.pdf&fbclid=IwAR2FO3Anq51pnOOH0-FMdL0EK-3vYOxqwa3w2d4nghYpSAU0CGSNIVG07Wk). This coupled with technological advancements like Bonton Connect will ensure that the population of Bangladesh does not fall behind its global peers.


### Sustainable Cities and Communities

![SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities](../post-images/6-5-21-sdg-11.png)

Cities are the driving force behind economic development and hence, people from rural areas flock to urban areas. This has been causing many problems - from environmental issues to economic ones. The main reason why people come to cities is obvious: in search of better living standards. But many fall victim to urban poverty. 

The quality of education, healthcare, and jobs is better in urban areas than in rural areas and this is true for almost all countries in this world. As previously mentioned, if internet access is made within the grasp of everyone, uniformity in quality of education, jobs, and even healthcare can be maintained. Internet brings millions of opportunities to people and due to technological advancements, opportunities are only 

Getting a wifi connection in rural areas is simply not feasible for many households but with the help of Bonton Connect, all households would not even require to get it. Internet sharing within communities is made significantly easier with the shared economy system provided by Bonton Connect. It also provides its users a source of income by utilizing their underused resources, adding an economic benefit angle. By decentralizing opportunities and democratizing the internet, Bonton Connect will aid cities to expand at a sustainable pace.

---

It may not be evident at first sight how vital access to the internet is for the prosperity of a country and its people, but once given some thought, it becomes blatantly obvious what significant changes internet access brings. Bonton Connect does one thing - it makes the internet affordable and hence, accessible. 

---

Bonton Connect has launched its application on Google Play Store currently. You can download the app from [here](https://download.bonton.app/site).

_The author, [Bushra Shakil](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bushra-shakil/), is a third-year undergrad student at IBA, University of Dhaka, who is a Shark Tank enthusiast and is aiming to build a career in finance._


Meet the Team


Bonton is a peer-to-peer WiFi-sharing platform that makes internet affordable for everyone, everywhere.

Over the past one year, Bonton CEO Samiha and CTO Omran have banded together an enthusiastic team, all united in their mission to connect all of Bangladesh. Every day, they’re working on removing the barriers to unlimited internet access and ensuring utmost security and efficiency for the Bonton users.

Today, we ask the people making it happen day to day, how they feel about Bonton.

## Meet the Team

**Question:** _How does working at Bonton add value to your lives?_

### Kamrun Nahar Ruma (Software Engineer)

![Kamrun Nahar Ruma](../post-images/5-21-21-ruma.png)

> It always feels great when we can influence people’s lives through our work. Here at Bonton, we are working dedicatedly so that the people of our country can get internet service easily at an affordable price. The opportunity to serve the people has made our work more enthusiastic and promising.

### Robin Mollah (Software Engineer)

![Robin Mollah](../post-images/5-21-21-robin.png)

> Bonton's internet service will bring huge changes to society: saving lives and building dreams. Without the internet, nobody could’ve imagined those. If the less fortunate can become digitally literate and harness the full power of the internet, it will make a great impact in reducing economic inequality. Otherwise, a huge population will stay isolated from the new, different, and simplified world.
>
> I think we, the fortunate people, take the Internet for granted. We do not recognize the contribution it has made in today’s broad perspectives. For instance, I had three diaries where I would write documentation of PHP, JAVA, and LibGdx by hand. My limited internet access to prepare and print the several hundred pages of documents were very time expensive and cost inefficient.

### Sikder Shadman Sami (Software Engineer)

![Sikder Shadman Sami](../post-images/5-21-21-sami.png)

> The most significant impact of Bonton is making the internet more accessible to people from all walks of life. People who find themselves in need of internet on the go are at the mercy of expensive predetermined data packages, but Bonton provides an alternative that did not exist before. I find it really exciting to contribute to the development of such a product.

### Ishrat Jahan Ikra (Head of Finance)

![Ishrat Jahan Ikra](../post-images/5-21-21-ishrat.png)

> With the world wide web at our fingertips, the possibilities are endless. While some easily benefit from this online treasure trove of information, for many it’s not as accessible. Bonton Connect works tirelessly every day to bridge that gap and ensure everyone has equal access to the Internet. Team Bonton’s people over profit outlook helps me to live with purpose every day. Excited to see the change it brings in the world and proud to have been a small part of it.

## What impact are they all talking about?

The Bonton team is obsessed with making the internet affordable and accessible for all. Otherwise, you pay twice as much to access it.

One, when you’re at the go and pay for a large volume of data from telecom operators.

Another, when you’re home and pay for a monthly subscription fee.

## Why does the Bonton team believe this problem is so important?

Because, as a recent GSMA report has found, several barriers prevent the average Bangladeshi from enjoying sufficient internet per day: affordability, accessibility, usability and skills, relevance, & gender gaps.

Come be a part of the Bonton generation that’s making the internet free for all!

---

Bonton Connect has launched its application on Google Play Store currently. You can download the app from [here](https://download.bonton.app/site).

_Zakia Sameen Noor is a freelance writer specializing in writing research-oriented SEO-marketing content for businesses: about us pages, biographies, newsletters, email marketing, blog posts, white papers, and more. Reach her for business inquiries at [Zakia Sameen Noor | LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/zakiasameennoor/)_


Making access to the internet easier with Bonton Connect


Bonton Connect was featured on Dhaka Tribune after the launch of the application on PlayStore. The feature focused on Bonton's inception and the business value proposition for its customers. Customers can use unlimited volume of internet for as little as 5tk for 12 hours with Bonton. Bonton has also enabled the “Sharing” option for their customers which means that people can share their WiFi from all over Bangladesh currently.

The feature also focused on the customers’ concerns about Bonton.

> This idea might seem too good to be true, and there are questions that might arise in one’s mind such as sharing the same open Wi-Fi could lead to security issues which might be a serious problem to the host. To counter that issue, Bonton app puts a password in for the host and maintains a strong firewall that guarantees security and privacy for the host.
>
> There are other concerns too, such as whether sharing Wi-Fi might slow down the internet and hamper the hosts’ own experience? To that, they answered by saying they have developed a system that recognizes the traffic usage and if there is high consumption, the user will be transferred to another network that has a more surplus bandwidth.

You can read more about the article [here](https://www.dhakatribune.com/feature/2021/04/25/making-access-to-the-internet-easier-with-bonton-connect).

Bonton Connect has launched its application on Google Play Store currently. You can download the app from [here](https://download.bonton.app/site).


Bonton Connect: All day internet at Tk 5?


Bonton Connect was featured on The Business Standard about its unique business model. The founders, Samiha Tahsin and Omran Jamal were interviewed about how the idea gradually turned into reality. The article talks about the ideation stage, the application development process and also features some reviews from Bonton’s customers.

> Shubho Sarker is using Bonton for the last one month in Mohakhali. He barely used to buy mobile data but now he frequently uses Bonton at work to use social media and visit websites. He is satisfied with its service, but has suggested improving the connection speed as it slows down in peak hours. He hopes to use the app even when it starts charging the users.

You can read more about the article [here](https://www.tbsnews.net/feature/panorama/bonton-connect-all-day-internet-tk5-164530).

The need for affordable internet has reached an all time high now, especially due to the pandemic. Help out your community by sharing your WiFi through Bonton.

Bonton Connect has launched its application on PlayStore and you can download it from [here](https://download.bonton.app/site).


Democratizing Access to Internet: An Interview With Samiha Tahsin and Omran Jamal, Founders, Bonton Connect


The founders, Samiha Tahsin and Omran Jamal sat with Ruhul Kader, founder of Future Startup for an interview about their journey with Bonton Connect. They discuss the pain points that led them to come up with the idea of Bonton and also how the product is developed keeping user security at the center.

> FS: Initially, I thought security should not be an issue because you should have figured out since it is such a basic feature for making something like this work. But it now seems like a major issue.
>
> Omran: The security myths that you hear these days such as people will steal your FB password or hack your phone and steal your photos, these used to be real challenges back in 2008 and 2009. There are no more challenges for users. WIFI infrastructure was a bit underdeveloped at the time. Hacking was much easier.
>
> Half of the security problems we solve through automating the routers and enabling some security features. The other half of the problem is solved by the modern world. Any router where there is modern firmware, all the security features that you need to ensure the security of the person who is sharing are already there. We just need to turn it on.
>
> The only problem is that regular people don't know which feature to turn on and which to turn off. Our machine learning model takes care of that. Our machine learning model can tell which feature to turn on and which to turn off and how to block.
>
> Specifically, no external user can access a machine from outside simply by taking advantage of the wifi network. It is similar to mobile data. When you are sharing mobile data no one can use that to browse your phone. That is the same for the computer and WIFI

The interview also revolves around the young talents of the Bonton team and how they handle the day-to-day operations. Read more from the article [here](https://futurestartup.com/2020/11/04/samiha-tahsin-and-omran-jamal-on-bonton-connect/).

Bonton Connect has launched its application on Google Play Store currently. You can download the app from [here](https://download.bonton.app/site).


Bonton Connect: Helping Bangladesh get one more step closer to achieving SDGs

5th Jul 2021

Meet the Team

21st May 2021

Making access to the internet easier with Bonton Connect

24th Apr 2021

Bonton Connect: All day internet at Tk 5?

29th Nov 2020

Democratizing Access to Internet: An Interview With Samiha Tahsin and Omran Jamal, Founders, Bonton Connect

4th Nov 2020