Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN) - The number of mobile phone users has reached at 87.887 million at the end of February in Bangladesh with a new addition of 1.33 million, officials said.
The subscribers' growth of five operators out of six showed positive, except that of Citycell, which is the country's lone CDMA (Code division multiple access) operator, according to the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) statistics.
Grameenphone (GP), the country's biggest operator by subscribers with 42 per cent market share, added highest 0.354 million new customers totaling 37.351 million, which was 36.997 million in January.
Second market leader Orascom Telecom Bangladesh Limited (Banglalink) witnessed 24.168 million users by February and added 0.287 million new subscribers in the second month of the year. Till December 2011, the operator`s subscription had 23.753 million.
The third largest operator Robi Axiata Limited (Robi), which took different kind of new initiatives recently to increase its brand image, has added 0.568 million subscribers by February and its subscribers' base stood at 17.087 million from 16.51 million in January 2012.
Indian telecom operator Airtel, also rolling as fourth number player in the mobile market, added 0.124 new subscribers in February, with its total subscribers reaching at 6.231million from earlier 6.107 million.
In February, a total number of 0.012 subscribers has closed the using of the operator's connection. Besides, a total 0.021 million users ended subscription of the operator in January. Now some 1.791 million users are with the operator.
The situation of the state-owned telecom operator Teletalk Bangladesh Limited (Teletalk) is not good as like as Citycell. It was not able to increase its subscriber despite having lowest tariff, industry insiders said.
But in last two months, it added 0.046 million new users to 1.257 million which was 1.211 million in December 2011.
They said the state operator got some new users due to a new circular of filing BCS application form through Teletalk.
BBN/SSR/AD-17Apr12-4:10 pm (BST)
