Mobile and internet usage rises

Internet and mobile phone use continued to grow in Bangladesh in 2026, although computer use and household internet access showed little progress, according to official statistics.
Internet use among people aged five and above rose to 59.2% in April-June 2026, from 55% a year earlier, while mobile phone use increased to 89.6% from 88.2%, according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) ICT Use and Application Survey 2025-26. Smartphone use edged up to 75.1% from 74.8%.
Mobile phone access remained nearly universal at the household level, reaching 99%. However, only 65.6% of people owned a mobile phone, indicating that many users rely on devices owned by others.
Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) data shows internet subscribers reached 137.66 million in August, up from 128.99 million in January. Mobile internet subscribers rose to 122.26 million, while broadband subscribers increased to 15.40 million from 14.77 million.
The shift from 3G to 4G also continued. The number of 4G subscribers hit 122.71 million in August from 113.49 million in January, while 3G subscribers fell to 1.05 million from 2.12 million.
The mobile subscriber base grew to 191.09 million in August from 185.80 million in January.
Despite wider mobile and internet use, computer use remained limited. Individual computer use rose slightly to 11.8% from 11.6%, while household computer ownership fell to 9.1% from 9.2%. Household internet access also declined to 58.2% from 59.7% a year earlier.
Fixed-line telephone access continued to shrink, with only 0.7% of households reporting a fixed-line connection, down from 0.9%.