The number of mobile phone users in the country crossed the seven-crore mark in January with two leading operators touching new milestones. Bangladesh, one of the fastest growing mobile markets, ended 2010 with 6.86 crore active subscribers, but it only took a month to reach the landmark. The total number of active subscribers reached 7.034 crore at the end of January, according to Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC).
Grameenphone, jointly owned by Telenor and Grameen Telecom, has retained top position. The leading telecom operator, which added 67 lakh new customers alone last year, has crossed the three-crore mark to take its tally to 3.04 crore. Second-placed Banglalink made a big stride as it roped in two crore subscribers.
Robi, owned by Axiata (Bangladesh), a joint venture between Axiata Group Berhad, Malaysia and NTT DOCOMO, Japan, stood third with 1.26 crore subscribers. Indian mobile giant Airtel, which made formal launch in December after its parent company Bharti Airtel bought controlling stakes into Warid, closed January with 41.84 lakh users. Citycell, the oldest operator in the country, and also the lone CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) technology-based mobile phone operator, is placed at fifth with 18.58 lakh customers, despite losing nearly one lakh customers. Bottom-placed Teletalk ended the first month of the year with 12.04 lakh customers, according to BTRC. Last year, six mobile operators -- one state-run and five others private -- altogether sold 1.621 crore new connections, 30.91 percent up on 2009, according to the regulator. In 2009, the number of active subscribers grew 17.45 percent and 29.88 percent the year before. Experts say the country's mobile subscription could reach 12 crore within the next few years, while the operators are vying to target the largely untapped rural population. Although the mobile penetration rate stands at a little over 40 percent, the growth largely confines to urban areas.
News Source : The Daily Star