The mobile economy in the Asia-Pacific region is experiencing rapid growth, but Bangladesh is struggling to keep pace.
According to a report titled 鈥楾he Mobile Economy Asia Pacific 2024,鈥� published by the GSM Association, commonly known GSMA or Global System for Mobile Communications, the global mobile industry continues to expand, with the sector contributing $880 billion to the Asia-Pacific economy in 2023. This figure is projected to reach $1 trillion by 2030.
However, Bangladesh鈥檚 progress in mobile technology adoption lags significantly behind its South Asian neighbours.
As of 2023, only 56 per cent of Bangladesh鈥檚 population owns smartphones, far below the regional average.
In comparison, India鈥檚 smartphone adoption rate is 80 per cent, that of Indonesia is 87 per cent, Pakistan 63 per cent and the Philippines 86 per cent.
This gap in digital access deepens social inequalities and limits many Bangladeshis鈥� access to essential digital services.
Mobile internet adoption in Bangladesh is also growing at a slow pace, with just 35 per cent of the population connected.
This is well below the 53 per cent in India, 49 per cent in Indonesia and 65 per cent in Malaysia. Bangladesh only ranks above Pakistan, where 23 per cent of people have mobile internet access.
The situation with 5G technology is also bleak. While Bangladesh has a plan for 5G rollout, it remains largely unrealised.
As of 2023, no mobile users in Bangladesh are connected to 5G, similar to Pakistan. In contrast, 12 per cent of mobile internet users in neighbouring countries are on 5G, with 1 per cent in Indonesia and 6 per cent in the Philippines already using the technology.
The report highlights several key issues contributing to Bangladesh鈥檚 slow progress, including high cost of devices and a lack of digital skills.
