The 4G network use in Bangladesh has gradually increased over the last few years, crossing the 10-crore mark for the first time in October. According to information from Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), there were about 18.96 crore mobile subscribers as of October. Of them, 10.05 crore use 4G.

This means more than half the users, or 53 percent to be exact, are now using 4G SIMs, displaying a positive trend in the use of high-speed mobile internet. The telecom authority gave 4G licences to operators in February 2018, taking Bangladesh into the days of fourth-generation data services. The number of 4G subscribers crossed 5 million in June the same year. But despite these advancements, Bangladesh finds itself lagging behind neighbouring countries in the South Asian region, which have seen more rapid and widespread 4G network development.

In 2022, more than 72 percent of mobile users in India were using 4G while it was 57 percent in Pakistan and an average of 70 percent across the Asia Pacific region, according to GSMA’s The Mobile Economy Asia Pacific 2023.

Source: The Daily Star