Number of mobile subscribers rebounds in January

After a continuous six-month fall since July last year, the number of mobile subscribers in the country has increased by six lakhs to 18.08 crore in January which was 18.02 crore in December, according to Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC).

Banglalink, the third-largest operator in the country, gained the highest number of customers in that month.

Out of the six lakh new subscribers, Banglalink secured around 3.3 lakhs, while the market leader, Grameenphone, received 80,000 and the second-largest operator, Robi, gained 2.1 lakh new subscribers.

Commenting on its performance, Taimur Rahman, chief corporate and regulatory affairs officer of Banglalink, stated that this reflects Banglalink's significant investment in its network infrastructure.

"In addition to spectrum procurement in 2021 and 2022, we deployed nearly 4,000 sites last year, which increased our coverage by 40% and made us a nationwide player. With this enhanced coverage, capacity, and spectrum availability, Banglalink has consistently been the fastest mobile network in Bangladesh, a recognition once again affirmed by Ookla," said Taimur Rahman.

He added that Banglalink strives to provide better quality service for the people of the country.

 In June last year, the total number of mobile SIM subscribers in the country under four operators was 18.44 crore.

The following month, the number began to decrease at a time when the country's inflation rate also began to break records each month.

Economists and market experts state that due to the economic recession and record inflation, people, in general, are making compromises with their basic needs to reduce their daily costs.

Meanwhile, the number of internet subscribers in the country experienced another sharp decline in January, with the total number dropping from 12.44 crore in December 2023 to 12.04 crore.