The operators added 22 lakh new subscribers in the opening quarter of the year and 12 lakh in the second quarter
The number of mobile phone users in the country increased by 13 lakh in July-September of the current year amid volatility in the telecom sector over the government’s audit claim from two leading operators.
According to Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission data, the number of active mobile phone users rose to 16.34 crore in September from 16.21 crore in July.
The operators added 22 lakh new subscribers in the opening quarter of the year and 12 lakh in the second quarter.
Leading mobile phone company Grameenphone added 3 lakh new users in the third quarter of the year, taking its total number of users to 7.57 crore.
The second largest operator Robi bagged 4 lakh new subscribers in Q3, taking its total user number to 4.81 crore.
Banglalink’s total number of subscribers stood at 3.49 crore at the end of September after it added 2 lakh new subscribers.
State-run Teletalk added 2.9 lakh new users in the period and the total subscriber of the company stood at 45.27 lakh.
Officials of the mobile phone companies said the ongoing dispute over BTRC claim of Tk 13,446 crore from GP and Robi slowed down the growth of subscribers.
They said BTRC move to suspend new package approval and bar on network equipment import for GP and Robi also dented the growth.
“We are not allowed to offer new package and also cannot renew exiting offers. How can we then attract new customers,” a senior Robi official told Dhaka Tribune.
He said mobile companies were now giving focus on customer retention rather gaining new ones.
On July 22, BTRC decided not to give any kind of approval to the operators to roll out new packages or services, or import network equipment to pressure them into clearing their dues.
BTRC officials, however, said that poor quality service by leading mobile companies discouraging new subscribers.
“If someone needs a mobile phone connection he/she would not care which mobile company is having dispute with the government. If the mobile phone companies provide quality service, they will get subscribers automatically,” a senior BTRC official told Dhaka Tribune.
The number of mobile phone users in the country witnessed a decline in 2016 following the government move to register SIMs with biometric verification.
The total number of subscribers reached 13.26 crore in May 2016 but came down to 11.77 crore in August 2016 as the operators lost around 1.50 crore subscribers after the end of biometric SIM registration deadline of May 31.
The number of mobile internet users increased by 24 lakh in July-September, taking the total number of mobile internet users to 9.26 crore.
Source: https://www.dhakatribune.com/business/2019/11/04/mobile-operators-add-13-lakh-new-users-in-q3