The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

Country's mobile phone operators added 14.4 million new customers in the last one year till July this year, raising the total number of users to 44.8 millions.

According to Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), there were 32.37 million customers of six mobile phone vendors till July last year. But the number reached 44.8 millions in July this year. However, the data of the month of August is yet to be available.

Of the six operators, the sources said, Grameenphone (GP) maintained its solo lead in terms of customer acquisition by adding 5.11 million subscribers in the last one year. The number of GP users is now 20.84 millions which was 15.73 millions till July last year.

Banglalink, which was in the number three position, clinched the second spot surpassing AKTEL. The number of Banglalink users reached 9.90 millions till July this year, adding 3.39 million customers in the last one year. However, the Egyptian telecom vendor touched the milestone of 10 million subscribers last month.

AKTEL, which is mainly owned by Telecom Malaysia International, slipped to the number three position. It added 1.31 million subscribers in the last one year raising the total number of its customers to 7.98 millions.

The market's new entrant Warid Telecom grabbed the number four position, surpassing Citycell and TeleTalk. The number of customers of Warid Telecom, the Emirates telecom vendor which was launched last year, reached 3.48 millions in July this year. The number was 1.14 millions till July last year.

Citycell, the country's first and only CDMA operator, slipped to the fifth spot losing .36 million customers in the last one year. The number of Citycell subscribers is now 1.31 millions which was 1.67 millions till July last year.

The state-run TeleTalk now remained at the bottom place losing .02 million subscribers in the last one year. The number of TeleTalk customers was 0.93 millions in July last year which is now 0.91 millions.

An official of the BTRC told BSS today that the number of mobile customers is increasing rapidly due to reduction in call charges and SIM prices.

By the end of this year, he hoped, the number of mobile subscribers would reach 50 millions.