Proportion of households in country with mobile phones is 97.9pc: BBS

The proportion of households with mobile phones in the country is now 97.9 percent while those with smartphones is 63.3 percent, according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).

Besides, the proportion of households with internet is now 8.6 percent, with computers is 8.9 percent, with electricity is 99.1 percent, with television is 62.2 percent while those with radio is 14.9 percent.

The information was revealed at the publication ceremony of the final report on the "ICT Use Survey" held at the auditorium of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).

Planning Minister MA Mannan spoke at the function as chief guest while Statistics and Informatics Division Secretary Dr Shahnaz Arefin, ICT Division Secretary Md Shamsul Arefin spoke as special guests presided over by director general of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) Md Matiar Rahman.

Project Director Syeda Marufa Shaki made a power-point presentation on the findings of the survey.

Speaking on the occasion as the chief guest, the planning minister citing the survey findings said that the use of computers in the country has declined over the years after the gradual dominance of the smartphones.

He also noted that such findings would help the policy makers to frame better strategies and planning.

ICT Division Secretary Md Shamsul Arefin said that the use of ICT has now increased up to the rural level while the use of mobile phones and smart phones has also increased over the years.

Besides, he noted that the number of internet users has also increased from time to time.

Statistics and Informatics Division Secretary Dr Shahnaz Arefin said that from the BBS, they are trying hard to conduct the surveys and thus publish their findings within the timeframe.

Saying that the BBS never releases biased data, Shahnaz said their efforts to deliver accurate data in a timely manner would continue in the future also.

Project Director Syeda Marufa Shaki informed that the data collection for the survey continued from May 29, 2022 till August 28, 2022 from some 30,816 sample households.

The survey findings showed that the highest 78.5 percent proportion of households in Chattogram Division use smartphones followed by 75.3 percent in Dhaka Division, 61.9 percent in Khulna Division, 58.1 percent in Sylhet Division, 55 percent in Mymensingh Division, 50.6 percent in Rajshahi Division, 50 percent in Barishal Division and 40.7 percent in Rangpur Division.

If the proportion of households with internet access is analysed, it was found that the Dhaka Division has the highest 59 percent proportion of households with internet followed by 51.5 percent in Chattogram Division, 40.8 percent in Sylhet Division, 38.5 percent in Mymensingh Division, 34.3 percent in Rajshahi Division, 33.2 percent in Khulna Division, 27.3 percent in Barishal Division and 27.3 percent in Rangpur Division.

While considering the location of using Internet by the individuals, it was found that some 76.4 percent people use Internet at home, 30.4 percent at another person's home, 28.3 percent at work where a person's workplace is located, 19.4 percent at the place of education, 13.9 percent people at facility open to the public, 4.4 percent at Internet cafe, and 2.5 percent in other places.