Dhaka: Production of locally made smartphones is on the rise as manufacturers anticipate growth in the sector following the country's new journey during the post-mass uprising period. Both local and global brands have increased their production by more than six percent in September compared to the previous month, according to statistics from the telecom regulator. According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the statistics from the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) indicate that mobile phone production in September registered a total increase of 1.14 lakh units compared to the previous month. The total number of mobile phones produced in the country in September was 25.17 lakh units, up from 24.03 lakh units in August, as all 16 local and foreign brands maintain production capacities in Bangladesh. Jakaria Shahid, president of the Mobile Phone Industry Owners' Association of Bangladesh (MIOB) and founder and Managing Director of Edison Group, owner of local mobile phone brand Symphony, expressed optimism about market growth. He mentioned that the telecom regulator has begun addressing several issues to foster market expansion. Shahid also noted that Symphony has introduced bundle offers with mobile phone operators to enhance user convenience and mentioned that they plan to offer more bundles if the government approves the pin-lock service, which is currently under consideration. BTRC data revealed that smartphones, which are more technologically advanced, constituted 36.21 percent of production in September, compared to 29.93 percent in August. Out of these, 9.09 lakh units were 4G-enabled, and 0.03 lakh units featured the latest 5G technology. The production of 4G-enabled mobile phones saw a significant increase, rising to 9.09 lakh units in September from 6.99 lakh units in the previous month. The data also showed that the majority of the phones produced were equipped with 2G technology, totaling 16.06 lakh units out of the 25.17 lakh phones. Rezwanul Hoque, CEO of Transsion Bangladesh, expressed expectations of a better market scenario in the near future, noting that all manufacturers are operating at full capacity, with all 16 local and global brands having increased their production capabilities. Transsion, the parent company of global mobile phone brand Techno, has reported good growth in local production. BTRC statistics indicated that feature phones, primarily 2G devices, dominated production numbers in September, accounting for 63.79 percent of total units manufactured, highlighting their continued popularity and demand. However, the data also revealed that there has been no production of 3G mobile phones in the country since January 2023, reflecting a global shift towards newer technologies as manufacturers focus on 4G and 5G devices.
