Mobile number portability (MNP) in Bangladesh is facing stagnation, with low adoption levels highlighting challenges in the country’s telecom regulatory and competitive landscape.
The service, which allows users to switch operators while retaining their mobile numbers, has seen limited uptake despite being introduced to enhance consumer choice and market competition. Industry observers point to regulatory inefficiencies, operational hurdles, and lack of awareness as key factors behind the slow progress.
Telecom operators have also raised concerns around the cost structure and complexity of the MNP process, which can discourage both providers and users from actively engaging with the system. As a result, the intended benefits of increased competition and improved service quality have yet to fully materialise.
Bangladesh’s telecom sector continues to evolve amid rising data demand and digital adoption, but structural issues such as pricing constraints and infrastructure challenges remain. Effective implementation of services like MNP is seen as critical to fostering a more competitive and consumer-friendly market.
Regulators are under pressure to address these gaps and revitalise the MNP framework to ensure it delivers on its original objectives.
Editor’s Note:
Mobile number portability is a key lever for competition in telecom markets. Bangladesh’s experience highlights how regulatory execution is just as important as policy intent in driving adoption and impact.
