Bangladesh's telecom regulator has withdrawn a proposal to reduce the maximum number of SIM cards per national identity (NID) from 10 to five following opposition from two mobile operators, reigniting debate over regulatory neutrality and the competitive consequences of policy interventions in the telecom sector.
The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) recently held discussions with mobile network operators over the proposed SIM cap. While Robi Axiata and Banglalink strongly opposed the move, the regulator ultimately refrained from proceeding with the plan, marking a retreat from a policy initiative that could have significantly altered the competitive landscape of the market.
Market structure and competitive implications
In Bangladesh's multi-SIM environment, users typically maintain a primary connection for reliability and network quality while keeping secondary SIMs for promotional offers, price arbitrage, or backup purposes. With its extensive coverage and strong brand positioning, Grameenphone is widely perceived as the primary choice for a large segment of users, particularly in rural areas and among premium customers.
Had the five-SIM limit been enforced, consumer behaviour would likely have shifted towards retaining primary connections while discarding secondary SIMs. Such a shift would have resulted in a consolidation of active subscribers in favour of the dominant operator, while smaller operators faced a disproportionate risk of losing marginal and promotional connections.
Data services, which accounted for more than 44 per cent of mobile operators' revenue in 2025, would also have been affected. With fewer SIM slots available, users would have been less inclined to switch networks for short-term promotional data offers, increasing the likelihood that their data spending would concentrate on their primary operator. This would have strengthened the revenue base of the market leader while constraining the growth prospects of its competitors.
Operators flag risks to competition
and consumer choice
Robi and Banglalink have argued that SIM caps do not address the underlying causes of security concerns and may instead distort market competition.
Taimur Rahman, Chief Corporate and Regulatory Affairs Officer at Banglalink, said that reducing the SIM limit could restrict consumer choice and slow digital inclusion in a market with four operators.
"SIM caps alone do not address security concerns, as misuse can occur even with a single SIM. A lower SIM cap could also distort market competition by disproportionately favouring the largest operator, while placing smaller operators at a structural disadvantage," he said.
Robi echoed similar concerns, stressing that lowering SIM ceilings does not necessarily translate into meaningful reductions in crime.
Shahed Alam, Chief Corporate and Regulatory Officer at Robi Axiata PLC, said misuse of SIMs is better addressed through robust KYC enforcement, real-time monitoring and advanced fraud detection rather than blanket restrictions.
"Overly restrictive policies may even push consumers towards informal channels, inadvertently heightening risks rather than reducing them," he said.
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