Wi-max technology has lost 51% of its regular subscribers in the country during the last one and a half year due to increasing trend in 3G internet users.
After June 2013, the number of total subscribers of the two Wi-max operators was over 5 lakh, which was 1.40% of the total internet market share.
But as of November 2014, active Wi-max users came down to more than 2 lakh, which is only 0.58% of the total market share, according to an official statistics.
Market sources said soon after the launching of the fastest third generation (3G) mobile internet services, a good number of Wi-max users diverted their technology to this new service.
As a result, the two Wi-max operators are experiencing a declining trend in their clients in the recent months.
Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) publishes a monthly regular update on the statistics of internet subscribers.
According to the BTRC statistics, there was a sharp fall in Wi-max users in August 2013 as the number drastically dropped to over 3 lakh from 5 lakh in July. In July, the number of Wi-max subscribers stood at over 5 lakh against the total internet users of over 3 crore.
Then the figure witnessed a slight increase to over 3 lakh in December 2013. In April 2014, it dropped to around 3 lakh.
But as of November 2014, total internet users were more than 4 crore while Wi-max users stood at over 2 lakh.
The Wi-max service operators observed that the fall occurred because of the launching of third generation mobile broadband although the fall began weeks before the official launching of the fastest data service in the country.
Data showed that the shrinking of Wi-max users began in August 2013, two months prior to the official launching of the 3G in October 2013 by private mobile phone operators.
While talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Wi-max operator Ollo’s chief technical officer Md Mizanur Rahaman described the fall as a shift to a new technology by the users.
“3G is a new service in Bangladesh and most users are young, who will accept it to have a new taste. That is why, a shifting is taking place in the market,” he said. The market insiders observed that the limited coverage of Wi-max network is another reason behind the ‘shifting’ as the service is mostly available in only city areas.
“Limited network coverage is a big shortfall for the Wi-max service, which fails to satisfy the customers’ need in a wide scale, prompting the users to choose other options,” said an executive of a Wi-max operator, asking not to be named.
Meanwhile, Ollo officials added that they were establishing 4G network, the fastest mode of wireless connectivity in the world as of now.
