Number of internet users rises in March

The number of internet subscribers rose in March as mobile network operators and broadband service providers both bagged new customers due to increased usage of different digital services other than social media. 

The number of internet users jumped by over 11 lakh to 12.61 crore in March compared to that in the previous month, according to data of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC).

Earlier in February, the number of internet subscribers in Bangladesh saw its first rebound after six months thanks to a jump in mobile internet users. But in March, broadband user numbers also underwent growth.

Mobile operators fetched about 9 lakh customers in March to reach 1.14 crore.

The rise in internet subscriptions in March is a breath of fresh air for operators as user numbers had been on the decline from August last year to January this year

"We are now observing a new trend among customers," said Shahed Alam, chief corporate and regulatory officer at Robi Axiata Ltd.

"They are now using the internet for different types of digital services such as over-the-top media, gaming etc. This is giving a boost to the subscriber number base," he said.

"Earlier, mobile internet subscribers generally used our service for social media and YouTube," he added.

The rise in internet subscriptions in March is a breath of fresh air for the mobile and broadband operators in the country.

User numbers have been on the decline from August last year to January this year as people had tightened their belts amid skyrocketing inflation.

Besides, a SIM sales ban on Grameenphone in the last six months of 2022 also contributed to a drop in the overall internet subscriber base.

Officials of mobile network operators say their massive network expansion drives ensured a better quality of service, boosting data usage at the same time.

For example, market leader Grameenphone recently completed the deployment of an additional 2,000 base transceiver stations, bringing its total to over 20,000, which is the highest among all operators.

Optical fibre connectivity covers over 35 per cent of its network, up from 17 per cent a year ago. Banglalink has also undergone massive network expansion.

"We attribute this uptick in customer preferences to our ongoing investment in network expansion," said Taimur Rahman, chief corporate and regulatory affairs officer of Banglalink recently.

"…enabling our customers to experience Ookla certified fastest 4G while utilising our innovative and quality digital services," he said.

It recently completed the deployment of 4,000 base transceiver stations, taking its total to more than 14,500. The expansion resulted in a roughly 40 per cent expansion of its total coverage.

Robi Aixata also deployed hundreds of new towers throughout last year, taking its total number of towers to nearly 15,500.

However, customers of mobile and broadband, especially those who live outside Dhaka, have complained of experiencing low quality of services in recent times.

Meanwhile, broadband internet subscribers rose by 2 lakh to 1.20 crore in March.

The BTRC provides internet subscriber information on a quarterly basis.

"We have seen the inflow of new customers in January and February, which mainly contributed to the quarterly growth," said Md Aminul Hakim, chief executive officer at Amber IT, a top broadband internet service provider.

"January particularly saw a surge in new customers acquisition as the educational institutions opened after a month of closure," he added.

Md Emdadul Hoque, president of the Internet Service Providers Association of Bangladesh, said the ISPs have faced difficulty in importing equipment after the war started in Ukraine.

"For that we have struggled to expand our networks. Now this problem has been solved and we are expanding the network in the rural areas," he added.