Robi invests Tk 9,331cr in network expansion since listing

Robi Axiata PLC has invested more than Tk 9,331 crore in expanding its network, excluding spectrum costs, since its landmark stock market listing in 2020.

The investment has supported the country’s second-largest mobile operator’s growing subscriber base, stronger profitability and wider digital services.

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The company disclosed the figure at a media briefing titled “Five Years in the Stock Market: Governance Excellence Driving Performance” in Dhaka yesterday. Ziad Shatara, managing director and CEO of Robi, outlined the company’s performance and value creation since its initial public offering (IPO), which was then the country’s largest.

“Delivering this growth has required sustained investment. Between 2021 and the first half of 2026, Robi invested Tk 9,331.36 crore in network expansion, excluding spectrum. During this period, our 4G sites increased from 13,173 to 19,646, while our spectrum holdings expanded 3.4 times to 124 MHz,” Ziad said.

Since listing in 2020, Robi has added 7.67 million subscribers, 11 million internet users and 25.5 million 4G users. From the end of 2020 to June 2026, it recorded the highest increase in active subscribers in the market.

By the second quarter of 2026, Robi’s active subscriber base reached 58.6 million. Internet users made up 78.9 percent of its subscribers, while 4G users accounted for 72 percent, both the highest proportions in the industry. Monthly data consumption exceeded 10 GB per data user.

The company posted year-on-year growth in both revenue and profit after tax between 2021 and 2025. In the first half of 2026, profit after tax rose 29 percent from the same period a year earlier.

“Since 2021, Robi has generated Tk 2,819.13 crore in profit after tax through the first half of 2026 and distributed Tk 2,854.67 crore in dividends. Dividend growth has remained aligned with improvements in earnings per share (EPS), reflecting our commitment to delivering sustainable value to shareholders,” Ziad said.

Data revenue accounted for 44.4 percent of Robi’s total revenue in the first half of 2026, up from 36 percent in 2020. It nearly matched voice revenue and was the highest share in the industry.

The company also increased spending on local vendors to 78.1 percent in 2025 from 57 percent in 2020. Its developer platform, bdapps, now hosts more than 125,000 applications created by 145,000 developers, who have collectively earned around Tk 280 crore since the platform was launched.

On artificial intelligence, Ziad said, “AI will play an even bigger role in our business in the years ahead. Throughout this journey, robust governance has provided the foundation for sustainable growth. We have continued to strengthen our data governance to protect customer privacy, guard against cyber threats and ensure AI is developed and deployed responsibly.”