DHAKA, Sept 9, 2026 (BSS) - Bangladesh's telecom market is undergoing a pronounced shift towards full 4G connectivity, with 4G subscriptions rising by 8.43 million between January and July 2026, even as the growth of total internet subscriptions remains concentrated in mobile access and fixed broadband expands at a much slower pace.

According to Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) data, total mobile subscriptions increased from 185.80 million in January to 190.44 million in July, a rise of 4.64 million or 2.50 percent over the seven-month period.

The stronger movement came in mobile broadband, where active subscriptions rose from 101.57 million to 108.81 million. Mobile broadband penetration also increased from 57.70 percent to 61.60 percent, while mobile internet penetration rose from 64.89 percent to 68.79 percent.
 
The technology transition is particularly evident in the contrasting movement of 3G and 4G subscriptions.

Talking to BSS, Robi Axiata Chief Corporate and Regulatory Officer Shahed Alam said the company had decommissioned its 3G service in 2024 and its network operations are now fully based on 4G and 2G services.

Replying to a query, he said nearly 70 percent of Robi's customers are using 4G services, while the remaining customers rely on 2G services.

Till July in this year, Robi's subscriber based reached at 58.77 million. 
 
Active 3G subscriptions fell by 1.07 million, or 50.47 percent, from 2.12 million in January to 1.05 million in July.

According to the official statistics, Grameenphone and Banglalink still have 3G services and most of the 3G users belong to the two operators. 

In contrast, 4G subscriptions increased by 8.43 million, or 7.43 percent, from 113.49 million to 121.92 million.

Total internet subscriptions rose by 7.76 million, or 6.02 percent, during the same period, reaching 136.75 million in July from 128.99 million in January. Total internet penetration increased from 73.28 percent to 77.42 percent.

The increase was driven largely by mobile internet, with subscriptions rising from 114.22 million in January to 121.52 million in July.

By comparison, ISP and PSTN-based fixed internet subscriptions increased from 14.77 million to 15.23 million.

Fixed broadband penetration edged up from 8.39 percent in January to 8.63 percent in July, compared with the rise in mobile broadband penetration to 61.60 percent.

The operator-level figures show continued growth among the leading private operators. Grameenphone subscriptions increased by 2.68 million to 87.01 million in July from 84.33 million in January, while Robi Axiata gained 1.53 million to reach 58.77 million from 57.24 million.
 
Banglalink increased its subscriptions by 440,000 to 37.84 million from 37.40 million. Teletalk, meanwhile, recorded a slight net decline of 10,000, ending July with 6.82 million subscriptions against 6.83 million in January.

Teledensity covering voice and internet services increased from 105.71 percent in January to 107.97 percent in July.