Stronger mobile networks for every citizen, every district

Connectivity: A lifeline, not luxury
Bangladesh’s digital journey is not just about technology—it’s about people. It’s about ensuring that every citizen, in every corner of the country, has equal access to opportunity.

Picture a student in Rangpur attending an online class without buffering. Imagine a shopkeeper in Narayanganj accepting mobile payments with ease. Think of the teachers in the hills ordering books online, or elderly parents in Sylhet sharing laughter over video calls with children abroad.

These are not futuristic dreams, they are today’s expectations. Connectivity has become a lifeline for education, commerce, healthcare, and human connection. But to keep this lifeline strong, our mobile networks must go further reaching every district, every village, every household.

Where we stand today
Bangladesh is home to nearly 188 million mobile users, one of the largest user bases in South Asia. Yet the infrastructure carrying this demand is under strain. With only about 46,000 towers nationwide, we have just 262 towers per million people which is far below what is needed for consistent quality of service (QoS).

The challenges are most visible in Dhaka and Chattogram. High data consumption, dense high-rises, and unrelenting demand cause congestion. In many commercially vital zones, sudden coverage holes leave users disconnected—frustrating in a world where being offline, even briefly, feels unthinkable.

Operators have tried to ease the strain by adding frequencies and boosting speeds, but quick fixes can only go so far. Beyond the cities, in rural villages and even inside our homes and offices where most calls and data sessions occur—signals remain weak or unreliable. Bangladesh’s story so far is one of extraordinary growth, but also of a widening gap between demand and infrastructure. Closing that gap will decide whether connectivity becomes a universal right, not a privilege.

The urban–rural divide

A recent national coverage dashboard paints a mixed picture. On paper, 88 percent of local zones (thanas) have internet coverage. But beneath the averages lies disparity: while 97 percent of urban zones are connected, only 76 percent of rural zones have access. Most alarming—58 zones remain completely uncovered, left outside the digital map.

This isn’t just a statistic; it’s a reality that many experience daily. Students in rural areas continue to struggle with slow internet connections while their urban peers advance swiftly. Farmers miss out on real-time market prices that could enhance their livelihoods. Families in remote regions remain disconnected from telemedicine, a service that urban areas now easily avail anytime.

Bangladesh's cities are rapidly adopting 4G and early 5G technology, but many semi-urban areas and villages are still lagging behind. Closing this gap is not just a matter of technology; it is about promoting equity, creating opportunities, and ensuring that no citizen is left behind.

Quality of service: beyond coverage

Bars on a phone screen don’t tell the full story. For millions, dropped calls, frozen video streams, and stalling apps are everyday frustrations. These gaps erode trust and slow digital adoption.
True QoS depends on three elements: latency, throughput, and reliability. Whether it’s a doctor’s tele-consultation, a digital payment at a market stall, or a student’s exam—QoS determines whether the connection empowers or disappoints.

Two enablers stand out:
* Backhaul Capacity – Without robust fiber backhaul to cell sites, even advanced radio equipment fails. Fiber is the unseen highway carrying the nation’s traffic—if it clogs, everything slows.

* Indoor Coverage – Over 70 percent of mobile usage happens indoors, yet thick walls and older infrastructure block signals. Hospitals, malls, and offices often turn into “dead zones,” disrupting emergencies and daily digital life alike.
Improving QoS isn’t optional. It is the difference between a country merely “covered” and a country truly connected.

Fiber: powering the backbone

Wireless networks are only as strong as the wires beneath them. Too many Bangladeshi towers still rely on microwave links, which cannot keep pace with modern demand. Fiber, on the other hand, offers unmatched capacity, stability, and low latency—essential for seamless 4G and future-ready 5G.

A citizen-first rollout means:

* Fiber to urban hotspots – Dhaka and Chattogram must be fully fiberized to absorb surging traffic.
* Fiber rings for district towns – Resilient loops ensure redundancy and uptime, even when cables are cut.
* Hybrid backhaul in remote areas – Where fiber is impractical, high-capacity wireless backhaul can serve as a bridge.
Fiber isn’t just infrastructure—it is the digital lifeline that will carry Bangladesh into the future.

The in-building challenge

Even in areas with strong outdoor coverage, indoor signals often collapse. Thick concrete, metal structures, and energy-efficient glass block radio waves, leaving users stranded in malls, offices, hospitals, and schools.

Deploying separate indoor systems for each operator is expensive and disruptive. The smarter alternative is neutral-host infrastructure

Neutral host: smarter, greener, faster

Neutral-host solutions allow a single shared system to serve all operators. Common in advanced markets, this model brings multiple benefits:
* Cost efficiency – Shared systems cut capital and operating expenses by up to 50 percent.
* Energy savings – Research shows up to 38 percent less energy consumption, supporting sustainability goals.
* Faster deployment – One installation instead of four speeds rollouts and reduces disruptions.
* Better user experience – Consistent indoor coverage for all, regardless of operator.
Neutral-host solutions should not be limited to malls and airports. They should extend to schools, hospitals, stadiums, transport hubs, and new residential complexes—places where connectivity is critical.

District snapshots: insights on the ground

Crowdsourced data highlights the uneven landscape:

Dhaka North: Multiple providers, yet hospitals and high-rises still face indoor coverage gaps.
Dhaka South: Narrow streets and older buildings demand tailored indoor solutions.
Gazipur: Industrial growth has outpaced infrastructure—fiber and new towers are urgent.
Narayanganj: Shared infrastructure reduces repeated street digging and accelerates service.
Chattogram City: Neutral-host systems are proving effective in commercial zones.
The message is clear: progress isn’t about more towers everywhere—it’s about smarter, targeted investment.

Future perspective: from streaming to AI

Today’s traffic surge is powered by video, reels, and short-form content. But tomorrow’s demand will come from AI-driven applications: generative AI assistants, real-time analytics, IoT, and immersive experiences. These workloads demand ultra-low latency, massive bandwidth, and consistent coverage.

The reality:

* 5G cannot fulfill its promise without dense coverage and strong capacity.
* Industries like RMG, logistics, and manufacturing will miss out on IoT and automation benefits if networks remain patchy.
* Without decisive spectrum action, Bangladesh risks lagging behind regional peers.
The call is urgent: accelerate fair 5G spectrum decisions, expand rural and industrial coverage, and deploy more towers and fiber. The future economy—AI-powered, automated, and competitive—depends on networks that are everywhere, always-on, and future-ready.

A rollout plan that puts citizens first

Stronger networks are not just a technical ambition—they are a national priority. To make this happen, five steps stand out:
1. Streamline permits – Create a single-window approval system to cut delays and reduce costs.
2. Optimize spectrum use – Ensure fair pricing so rural areas aren’t left behind.
3. Accelerate fiber deployment – Fiberize urban hubs, build district loops, and bridge remote areas with wireless backhaul.
4. Mandate sharing in key venues – Make shared systems the default in public spaces, from hospitals to stadiums.
5. Leverage public–private partnerships – Align government and industry on funding, policy, and execution to close the divide.
These actions can transform patchy signals and bottlenecks into a resilient, inclusive network that puts people—not infrastructure—at the center.

What success looks like

Bangladesh’s digital future will be measured not just in megabits per second, but in human progress. Success means:
* Fewer dropped calls – Reliable voice and video everywhere.
* Stronger indoor signals – Seamless connectivity in offices, malls, and clinics.
* Rural inclusion – Villages once left behind become first in line for online learning, farming advice, and telemedicine.
* Affordable access – Shared infrastructure lowers costs and unlocks innovation.
* Industry 4.0 enablement – RMG and manufacturing leverage IoT and AI for global competitiveness.

This is not just about building networks, it’s about building bridges: between urban and rural, rich and poor, present and future.

Stronger mobile networks for every citizen, in every district, will determine whether Bangladesh’s digital promise remains an aspiration—or becomes the lived reality of a connected nation.

Sunil Issac: Country Managing Director, EDOTCO Bangladesh