The country’s cell phone sector has come back on growth as it added 11.26 million new SIM connections in the last fiscal.
The sector registered about 53% of growth in 2012-13 as compared to the previous fiscal year’s 7.35 million, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) reported yesterday. The new subscribers grew by 17.45 million in 2010-11 and 13.29 million in 2009-10.
The market leader, Grameenphone, captured the highest number of subscribers (4.67 million) during the period of July 2012 to June 2013. Third largest operator, Robi, added 3.69 million subscribers, leaving behind Banglalink, the second leading operator, with 1.59 million new subscribers on their account.
Airtel and Teletalk could add 1.09 million and 550,000 new subscribers while the country’s oldest operator lost 316,000 subscribers during the period.
After June 2013, total active subscribers stand at around 105 million, adding over two million in the last month of the fiscal.
“We’re satisfied about the performance of the mobile operators. Now they have to reach the unreached subscribers – every year next ten million,” Md Giashuddin Ahmed, BTRC vice chairman, told the Dhaka Tribune. He said the operators have the scope to sell another 40-50 million SIM in this market.
On the operators’ side, they could have touched the pick if October to January tragedy did not happen. During the four-month period, prospective subscribers have been denied as BTRC emerged strict about the SIM registrations.
During the last six months, the sector added 2.56 million internet users – 95% from mobile phone users. After June, the internet users stand at around 33 million, according to the BTRC report.
