Mobile, internet connections drop in August

Bangladesh's mobile and internet subscriptions fell in August 2025 after showing modest gains in the previous month, according to the latest data released by the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC).

The total number of active mobile connections dropped to 188.64 million in August, down from 188.87 million in July, marking a marginal decline of about 0.12 per cent.

Market leader Grameenphone lost around 170,000 subscribers, bringing its total to 86.47 million, while Robi Axiata and Banglalink also saw minor decreases, reaching 57.48 million and 38.05 million, respectively. State-owned Teletalk, however, recorded a small rise to 6.64 million.

Overall, the mobile subscriber base has remained broadly stable since the beginning of the year, fluctuating between 186 million and 189 million. However, compared with 190.86 million in September 2024, the market has contracted slightly amid signs of saturation and slower new user additions.

Grameenphone continued to command the largest market share with about 46 per cent, followed by Robi's 30 per cent, Banglalink's 20 per cent, and Teletalk's 4 per cent. Industry insiders attribute the subdued growth to rising costs, reduced multi-SIM usage, and lingering economic pressures on consumers.

Internet subscriptions also declined during the month. The total number of users stood at 135.35 million in August, down from 135.99 million in July. Mobile internet users fell to 120.89 million, while ISP and PSTN connections remained unchanged at 14.46 million.

Compared to 138.62 million users in September 2024, the overall internet base has contracted by about 2.4 per cent over the past year. The fixed broadband segment has remained stagnant at around 14 million users despite increased reliance on digital services and government efforts to expand connectivity.

The brief rebound seen in July - when both mobile and internet subscribers had increased - proved short-lived. In that month, total internet users rose to 135.99 million from 133.61 million in June, and mobile users grew to 188.87 million from 188.45 million.

Analysts say the latest decline underscores the challenges facing the telecom sector, including market saturation, affordability constraints, and shifting user behaviour. They note that sustained growth will depend on stronger network quality, affordable data packages, and expansion into underserved rural areas.

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