Banglalink sees rise in revenue

Banglalink reported a sharp increase in its quarterly revenue driven by strong data sales as the mobile network operator continued its 4G investment.

The revenue of Bangladesh's third largest network provider was Tk 1,242 crore in the first quarter (January-March) while it was Tk 1,144 crore in the same period in 2021.

Demand for mobile data services remained strong in the quarter, when data usage rose 56.3 per cent year-on-year and mobile data revenue increased 22.1 per cent year-on-year.

The number of fourth generation (4G) data users grew by 39.7 per cent in the January-March period, pushing 4G user penetration to 34.9 per cent of Banglalink's total customer base of 38.09 million, the local carrier's parent company VEON said in its earnings release.

This strong result coincided with the operator securing a five-year syndicated term loan of Tk 1,200 crore this week as it looks to expand its capital expenditure, spectrum acquisition, and 4G network modernisation across the country.

Banglalink recently increased its total spectrum holding to 80 MHz, which will underpin its position as the fastest 4G network in Bangladesh, and its nationwide expansion drive.

The company also declared its plan to establish more than 3,000 base stations this year, taking its total number of base stations from 11,500 to 13,500.