Internet subscriber base shrinks by 70 lakh in 6 months

Bangladesh’s internet subscriber base has been on the decline for the last six consecutive months till January, with around 70 lakh users dropping off the network since August last year, mainly due to a steady fall in mobile internet subscriptions.

According to the latest data of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), the total number of internet subscribers stood at 12.90 crore in January, down from 13.60 crore in July 2025.

This has been almost entirely driven by a plunge in mobile internet user numbers, who account for the vast majority of internet connections in the country.

Mobile internet subscribers fell from 12.15 crore in July last year to 11.42 crore in January, marking a decline of about 74 lakh users over the period.

In contrast, fixed internet connections provided by ISPs and PSTN operators increased slightly. However, this modest growth was not enough to offset the marked drop in mobile data users.

Looking at the monthly trend, the largest downturn was witnessed in October last year.

Total subscribers dropped from 13.42 crore in September to 13.15 crore in October, then further to 12.99 crore in November and 12.97 crore in December, before falling to 12.90 crore in January.

Mobile internet users declined from 11.97 crore in September to 11.69 crore in October, and then to 11.53 crore in November.

The figure slipped slightly to 11.50 crore in December, before falling further to 11.42 crore in January.

SIM OWNERSHIP CAP THE MAJOR FACTOR

In June 2025, the government formally capped personal SIM ownership to 10 from 15 as part of a broader push to improve transparency in telecom services, curb criminal misuse of mobile connections and strengthen national security oversight.

Subscribers were initially given until October 30, 2025, to voluntarily deregister or transfer SIMs exceeding the new limit. The deadline was later extended to December 29, 2025.

Industry insiders say this process played a major role in the overall decline.

Shahed Alam, chief corporate and regulatory affairs officer at Robi Axiata, said during the last quarter of 2025, the total number of active internet subscribers declined slightly.

Attributing the change to a reduction in the number of active SIM cards in the market, he said, “As SIM ownership is directly related to mobile internet usage, a decrease in active SIMs naturally impacts the size of the internet subscriber base.”

He listed several other factors contributing to this trend.

“The current economic environment has prompted many consumers to reassess and optimise their spending,” he said, causing a decline in the overall number of active SIM cards compared with the previous quarter.

Meanwhile, the number of fixed broadband users remained relatively stable throughout the period.

Broadband subscribers stood at 1.46 crore between September and December, before increasing to 1.48 crore in January, reflecting a gradual expansion of fixed internet services.