Bangladesh is fifth in Asia in terms of using internet in consideration of population and 10th among top 20 major internet using countries in the world, according to data released by Internet World Stats, an independent data research organization.
Internet World Stats says that the number of internet users in Bangladesh stood 80.4 million on December 31' 2017. The number of internet users in the year 2000 was 100000 (one lakh) only. The country's total population is165 million transpiring that half the Bangladeshis are active internet users now.
It said, Asia has shown impressive growth trends in internet using in the last couple of decades.
The number of internet users in Bangladesh matched the data provided by BTRC (Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission) last November. BTRC had said the number of internet users in the country surpassed eight crore.
The BTRC said, tremendous growth of internet users in Bangladesh came on the backdrop of the government's all-out endeavors to advance the country into a digital era by facilitating internet across the urban-rural areas.
Meanwhile, another independent data research organization named LIRNEasia claimed on October 3 (2018) that 13 percent of Bangladeshis aged between 15 and 65 using internet. It said 45 percent of the age group owned internet-friendly devices by late 2017.
Its 'AfterAccess survey' revealed that the rates of using the internet by the same age group were 19 percent in India and 17 percent in Pakistan. It was 26 percent and 30 percent, respectively, in China and Myanmar.
However, according to the Internet World Stats data, China tops both the global and Asia ranking with highest number of internet users. In Asia, China's ranking is followed by India and Indonesia and Japan.
In a span of last 18 years since 2000, China's internet users grew tremendously from 22 million to 772 million. Internet availability rate in China reached 55.8 per cent, exceeding the world average by 4.1 percentage points.
Internet penetration in India in last 10 years has jumped from five million to 462 million by 2017.
In Indonesia, internet users grew from two million to 143 million, followed by Japan with 118 million.
In Philippines and Vietnam, 67 million and 64 million people respectively enjoys access to internet. Thailand has made internet available to 57 million people.
South Korea has created access to internet to 47 million people. Pakistan has minor improvement in creating access to internet to 44 million.
Meanwhile, BTRC said that 3.77 lakh new mobile internet subscribers were added in November 2017 to 7.978 crore till October same year; totaling the number of total internet subscribers to 8.016 crore.
Of the internet users, 7.47 crore use internet through mobile while rest 54.3 lakh use WiMAX, broadband and PSTN service for internet purpose.
The BTRC data released on the day also showed that active mobile phone users have increased to 14.31 crore at the end of November 2017.
The BTRC said that the actual number of mobile phone users would not be match to the number of populations as the telecom rules allow an individual to hold upto 15 SIM cards against his or her national ID card.
Source: http://m.thedailynewnation.com/news/191506/bd-fifth-internet--user-in-asia