By the end of March this year internet penetration was 61.28 million, up from 58.3 million in February and 56.16 million in January, says Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (BTRC).

During a span of one year since March last year, the number of internet users registered a 38 percent increase.

BTRC data shows that most of the users in Bangladesh access internet through mobile phones.

Operator Mar 2015 Jan 2016 Feb 2016 Mar 2016 Mobile phones 43.167 53.431 55.512 58.045 WiMAX 0.208 0.143 0.136 0.131 ISP and PSTN 1.250 2.594 2.669 3.112 Total 44.625 56.167 58.317 61.288

Source: BTRC (in millions)

An increase in internet subscribers for ISPs and PSTNs (public switched telephone network) has been recorded while users have lost interest in WiMAX-based services.

“The people in Bangladesh are now using more data services and we hope it will increase in future,” BTRC Secretary Md Sarwar Alam told bdnews24.com.

Meanwhile, the number of mobile phone subscribers has trickled down.

In March, the figure stood at 130.881 million, down from 137.72 million in December last year.

BTRC derives the figures from data of SIM cards sold by the six operators in Bangladesh, but not all of them are active.

Number of mobile phone subscribers Dec 2015 Jan 2016 Feb 2016 Mar 2016 133.720 131.956 131.085 130.881

Source: BTRC (in millions)

Operators say that around 80 million SIMs are currently active.

The government has initiated re-registering of SIM cards with subscriber’s biometric details. It plans to end the process by April.

Unregistered SIMs would be deactivated after the expiry of the deadline, State Minister for Telecoms Tarana Halim has said.