Both the mobile and internet users in the country more than doubled in 2021 compared to the immediate past year, thanks to increasing dependence on digital lifestyle during the peak time of the Coronavirus pandemic.
According to the latest data of Bangladesh Telecommunication and Regulatory Commission (BTRC), from January to December last year, 10.85 million new mobile subscribers were added to the industry.
On the other hand, 11.9 million more internet subscribers were added during the same period, according to BTRC.
With the addition, the country's mobile users now have reached 181 million until December 2021, while internet subscribers are 123.82 million.
The mobile and internet users grew by only 4.48 million and 2.63 million, respectively, in 2020.
However, some 8.0 million mobile subscribers were added in 2019 and 9.0 million in 2018.
When it comes to internet subscription, 8.0 million and 10 million new users were added, respectively, in 2019 and 2018.
The 2021 growth is the highest after 2017.
The year 2017 saw 17 million new mobile subscribers and 14 million internet users due to a spillover from previous year, as millions of mobile SIM cards were shut down for not registering with biometric information in 2016.
The year 2016 saw negative growth both in terms of mobile and internet subscriptions.
Asked why 2021 saw an extraordinary growth, industry insiders said the growth was expected and there was nothing surprising as more and more people were going digital to meet their needs.
Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh (AMTOB) Secretary General (retd) Brig Gen SM Farhad said it was quite natural that the number of mobile users would grow on a daily basis in Bangladesh, where roughly 45 per cent of the population was yet to be linked.
"They're on their way to the mobile world," he said.
Mr Farhad said the economy of the country was booming and offering new chances.
"However, many consumers have multiple SIM cards," he said.
Shahed Alam, Chief Corporate and Regulatory Officer of Robi Axiata Ltd, said customer 'churn' and 'add back' were normal and regular phenomena in the industry.
However, the extent of 'churn' and 'add back' observed clearly indicates that this is a hyper-competitive market, he said.
"Such a scenario only increases the overall cost of acquisition for smaller operators," he added.
Despite the growth, Bangladesh is lagging behind most of its South Asian peers in terms of smartphone use, according to a report of GSMA, which represents mobile operators worldwide. The report, released last year said 41 per cent of mobile phone users had smartphones in Bangladesh.
India has the highest percentage of smartphone users, at 69 per cent, followed by Sri Lanka with 60 per cent, Nepal 53 per cent and Pakistan 51 per cent.
Though Bangladesh is all set to roll out 5G, the report said only 28 per cent of the population had 4G connections.
According to BTRC, quality of service tests in all divisions found that most mobile operators in most parts of the country were failing to provide data speed required for 4G.
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