Football and Policy Drive 5 Million New Internet Users in Bangladesh
Bangladesh has seen a remarkable increase in internet users, with over 5 million new subscriptions recorded in just five months. This surge brings the total number of internet users to 134.1 million by the end of May. Industry experts believe the ongoing FIFA World Cup played a major role in this significant growth, as millions streamed matches online.
Data from the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) shows internet subscriptions jumped by 5.08 million from January to May. During the same period, active mobile phone users also rose by 2.8 million, reaching 188.6 million. This growth reflects a major shift in how people connect and consume media.
Alongside the World Cup, several other factors contributed to this digital expansion. Increased digital communication during Eid holidays, online activities for Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations, and a consistent electricity supply helped sustain online engagement. Furthermore, the complete removal of a Taka 300 tax on mobile phone SIM cards encouraged more new mobile connections.
Shahed Alam, Head of Corporate and Regulatory Affairs at Robi, confirmed that the World Cup and other factors led to higher data use. He noted that Bangladesh recorded its second-highest internet traffic ever during an Argentina-Switzerland World Cup quarterfinal match. He also highlighted the SIM tax removal as a key reason for subscriber growth, expecting continued positive effects.
Mobile internet remains the most popular way to connect. Out of the 134.1 million internet users in May, 119.1 million accessed the internet through mobile networks. This means nearly all the recent growth in internet subscriptions came from mobile users, adding 4.9 million mobile internet subscribers during these five months. Fixed broadband subscriptions, however, stayed largely stable.
The country’s active mobile subscriber base has also recovered, following a period of decline that began after late 2023. Grameenphone leads the mobile market with 85.9 million subscribers. Robi Axiata follows with 58.2 million, then Banglalink with 37.7 million. State-owned Teletalk has 6.81 million subscribers, being the only operator to see a slight decrease in this period. An active subscriber is defined as a SIM card used for at least one call, SMS, or internet session in the last 90 days.
