The use of voice calls and internet services on mobile phones is experiencing a rapid decline. In June, the number of mobile subscribers in the country stood at 196.8 million. By September, this figure had fallen to 190.86 million.
A similar trend is observed in internet usage as well.
In June, the number of internet users in the country was 142.17 million. By September, this figure had decreased to 138.62 million. Mobile operators indicate that the situation is expected to worsen in October. The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission(BTRC) will soon release the latest data on mobile and internet users.
Bangladesh Pratidin has conducted discussions with senior officials from the country’s top three mobile operators—Grameenphone, Robi, and Banglalink—who provided various reasons for the decline in mobile internet and voice usage.
Grameenphone Limited's Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Otto Risbakk said that prolonged instability, internet shutdowns, and unprecedented flooding in various regions have significantly impacted the economy and their business. As a result, their revenue has declined by 3.8%, totaling BDT 39.5 billion, while EBITDA has dropped by 8.7% to BDT 23.2 billion.
In this context, Mohammed Shahedul Alam, Chief Corporate and Regulatory Officer at Robi since June 2019, remarked that overall mobile revenue has decreased. We believe there are two main reasons for this decline.
First, many SIM cards have been lost since the internet shutdown before August 5, meaning those users are no longer accessing the internet. Usage of both voice and data services was significantly higher during the anti-discrimination movement, but it dropped sharply afterward.
The second reason for the decline in data and voice usage may be the overall economic situation. He noted that we have recently lost 10 to 12 percent of our customers, and I believe that the reduction in subscribers across all operators will have a substantial negative impact on the mobile business this year.
In this context, Taimur Rahman, Head of Corporate and Regulatory Affairs at Banglalink, noted that rising commodity prices have led people to cut back on mobile spending. This trend has persisted for the past three to four months.
He remarked that such a decline in voice and data subscribers has never been seen before. Recently, voice call usage has decreased by 10%, while internet usage has dropped by 15%, which he described as somewhat unprecedented.
Analyzing the four-month data on mobile voice and data usage provided by the BTRC reveals that in June, the total number of subscribers among the four operators was 196.08 million. This figure dropped to 194.26 million in July, 192.43 million in August, and 190.86 million in September.
Similarly, an analysis of internet user data shows that there were 142.17 million users in June. This number fell to 141.05 million in July, 140.50 million in August, and 138.62 million in September.
Regarding this issue, Mohiuddin Ahmed, President of the Bangladesh Mobile Phone Users Association, told Bangladesh Pratidin that due to political instability and internet shutdowns over the past three months, the majority of freelancers' work has moved overseas. This has significantly reduced internet data usage, which is a reality.
Additionally, concerns over data security have also led to a considerable decrease in voice call usage. He noted that poor internet quality and network weaknesses have largely contributed to this situation.
Translated by ARK/Bd-Pratidin English
