Mobile and internet use rise nationwide: BBS

Mobile phone and internet usage has risen markedly among Bangladeshis, with 89.6% of people aged five and above now using mobile phones and 59.2% going online, according to the fourth-quarter report of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics' (BBS) ICT Application and Usage Survey 2025-26, released on Sunday (September 20).

Mobile phone usage among individuals edged up from 88.2% in the corresponding period of fiscal year 2024-25, while individual ownership rose from 64.2% to 65.6%. Meanwhile, internet usage climbed from 55% to 59.2%. However, computer usage remained comparatively low at 11.8%.

At the household level, nearly 99% of households have access to at least one mobile phone, whereas smartphone availability increased only marginally, from 74.8% to 75.1%. Furthermore, the survey found that 58.2% of households have internet access, while 98.6% have electricity, 60.1% have television sets, 15.3% have radio access, and 9.1% have access to computers.

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Conducted across all 64 districts under a BBS project measuring district-level ICT access and usage, the survey employed Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI). Based on data collected from April to June 2026, the report covered 61,632 households across 2,568 selected sample areas. Ultimately, the BBS said the findings will contribute to Sustainable Development Goal monitoring, district-level ICT planning, and the provision of data on 22 indicators to the International Telecommunication Union.