More than seven years after 4G was introduced, large parts of Bangladesh still lack proper coverage, with mobile operators failing to meet their rollout obligations under license conditions.
The findings came from the latest drive test conducted by the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) in July 2025 to assess the quality of mobile network services.
BTRC carried out field tests across 574km in Tangail, Bogra and Gaibandha districts. The results showed that even Grameenphone, the country’s largest operator, failed to provide 4G coverage in 58% of the tested areas.
When 4G services were introduced on February 19, 2018, operators were granted licenses with mandatory rollout conditions.
They were required to ensure 4G services across all upazilas, national highways and railways within five years — by February 18, 2023.
However, none of the operators have met this obligation in full, leaving many sscribers dependent on slower 3G or even 2G services.
Operators fail to meet quality benchmarks
The BTRC test showed that all four major operators underperformed against set standards:
Grameenphone: 4G coverage absent in 58% of tested areas; call setup success rate 95.14%, below the 98% benchmark; average downlink throughput 20.99 Mbps.
Banglalink: 49% of areas lacked 4G coverage; throughput 29 Mbps; call setup success rate 96.22%.
Robi: 41% of tested areas had no 4G coverage; lowest call setup success rate at 77.37%; throughput 21.6 Mbps.
Teletalk: Weakest performance overall, with 77% of areas lacking 4G coverage; call setup time 10.25 seconds, above the 8-second limit; throughput 10.35 Mbps.
Regulator warns operators
BTRC officials said operators will be directed to improve their networks, particularly in regions with severely weak signals. The rapid installation of new Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) may be made mandatory to boost coverage.
The regulator may also seek explanations from operators under Section 64 of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Act, 2001, for failing to meet rollout obligations.
Experts criticize operators
Telecommunication experts criticized the operators, saying their failure to comply with license conditions has left customers facing poor-quality services.
“Operators were granted 4G licenses in 2018, yet many areas remain uncovered. At the same time, they are already promoting 5G rollout, which appears premature without ensuring proper 4G coverage,” one analyst observed.
Although mobile internet subscriptions in Bangladesh continue to rise rapidly, quality 4G service remains out of reach for a large share of the population. With operator accountability now under scrutiny, customers are demanding tougher action from the BTRC.
Source: https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/393181/btrc-finds-gaps-in-4g-coverage-operators-fail-to
