Internet subscriptions see major drop, mobile usage also down

Bangladesh has recorded a significant decline in internet subscriptions over the past four months, with official figures showing a continuous drop from the mid-2025 high, according to the latest data released by the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC).
The number of total internet users fell to 131.49 million in October 2025, down from 135.99 million recorded in July, marking a drop of more than 4.5 million users within a short period.
Mobile internet users accounted for nearly all of the contraction, dropping from 121.53 million in July to 116.87 million in October.
The fall suggests weaker demand for mobile data services, despite ongoing network expansion and bundled data offerings by telecom operators.
In contrast, fixed broadband (ISP and PSTN) subscriptions remained steady, rising slightly from 14.32 million in June and July to 14.62 million in October, reflecting more consistent adoption among urban households and businesses.
Alongside the decline in internet usage, mobile users also showed signs of stagnation after years of growth.
The total number of mobile subscribers slipped from 188.87 million in July to 187.46 million in October, signaling reduced activity in SIM acquisition and usage.
Grameenphone, the largest operator, saw its subscriber base fall from 86.64 million in July to 85.39 million in October, while Robi maintained relative stability with 57.54 million users in October.
Banglalink continued its downward trend, losing nearly three million subscribers over the last year, dropping to 37.81 million in October, compared with 40.53 million in November 2024.
State-run Teletalk showed minor improvement, rising from 6.56 million in November 2024 to 6.72 million in October 2025.
Industry analysts attribute the slowdown to several factors, including economic constraints affecting device purchases, rising cost of internet, the rollout of strict SIM verification rules, reduced multi-SIM usage, and market saturation.
Some also point to consumers shifting from mobile data to shared broadband connections amid rising data consumption needs.
With both internet and mobile subscriptions contracting or stabilising, the latest figures indicate a change in Bangladesh's long-observed growth trajectory in the digital sector, suggesting the market may be entering a correction phase rather than continued rapid expansion.

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