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The number of internet and mobile subscribers continued to decline in January, extending a downward trend observed over the past several months, according to the latest data from the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC).
Total internet subscribers fell to 128.99 million in January 2026 from 129.67 million in December 2025, marking a decline of about 0.52 per cent month on month.
The drop was mainly driven by a fall in mobile internet users. Mobile internet subscriptions decreased to 114.22 million in January from 115.04 million in December.
Fixed internet connections through ISPs and PSTN operators, however, rose slightly to 14.77 million from 14.62 million, reflecting modest growth in broadband usage.
The latest figures also show a sustained contraction in internet usage compared with mid-2025 levels. Total internet subscriptions stood at 135.99 million in July 2025, meaning the country has lost around 7.0 million users, or roughly 5.15 per cent, within six months.
A similar trend was observed in the mobile phone sector. The number of mobile subscribers declined marginally to 185.80 million in January 2026 from 185.89 million in December 2025.
Although the monthly drop was slight, the sector has been gradually shrinking since mid-2025. Total mobile connections stood at 188.87 million in July 2025, indicating a decline of about 3.07 million subscribers, or nearly 1.63 per cent, over the past six months.
Among operators, market leader Grameenphone slightly increased its subscriber base to 84.33 million in January from 84.16 million in December.
Subscribers of Robi Axiata edged down to 57.24 million from 57.40 million a month earlier, while Banglalink also recorded a decline, with its user base falling to 37.40 million from 37.52 million.
State-owned Teletalk Bangladesh Limited registered a small increase, reaching 6.83 million subscribers, up from 6.80 million in December.
Industry insiders said the declining trend reflects multiple factors, including SIM rationalisation, stricter biometric verification and reduced use of multiple SIMs by customers. Economic pressures may also be affecting consumer spending on telecom services, they added.
According to BTRC, a subscriber refers to a biometrically verified SIM or internet subscription that has recorded any activity -- voice, data or SMS -- at least once in the preceding 90 days. Inactive connections are automatically excluded from the official count.
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