Both mobile, internet subscriber bases rebound in March

After several months of steady decline, mobile and internet connectivity across the country has shown steady growth, as Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) released subscriber statistics for the first quarter of 2026.

The total number of mobile subscribers rose to 18 crore 60 lakh 60 thousand in March from 18 crore 58 lakh 40 thousand in February, marking a month-on-month increase of around 0.12 per cent.

This follows a gradual downward trend since July 2025, when the number of subscriptions stood at 18 crore 88 lakh , before falling consistently through the latter half of the year and into early 2026.

Among operators, statistics showed that market leader Grameenphone began the year with 8 crore 43 lakh 30 thousand subscribers in January, rising slightly to 8 crore 43 lakh 60 thousand in February and reaching 8 crore 44 lakh 80 thousand in March.

Besides, Robi Axiata followed with 5 crore 72 lakh 40 thousand subscribers in January, while 5 crore 73 lakh in February, and 5 crore 73 lakh 90 thousand in March.

Robi Axiata also posted a strong start to 2026, reporting Profit After Tax of Tk 232.3 crore in the first quarter (Q1’26), with a margin of 9.2 percent.

Revenue climbed to Tk 2,531.2 crore in Q1, an 8.1 percent increase from a year earlier. Earnings per share surged 85.2 percent year-on-year (YoY) to Tk 0.44, it said in a quarterly financial update.

The third largest operator, Banglalink recorded 3 crore 74 lakh subscribers in January, which dipped to 3 crore 73 lakh 50 thousand in February, and recovered to 3 crore 73 lakh 70 thousand in March.

On the other hand, the state-owned Teletalk maintained a steady base, starting with 68 lakh 30 thousand in January and holding at 68 lakh 20 thousand in both February and March.