GSM operators add 6.68 million new users in November
22 Dec 2011
India's GSM operators added 6.68 million new subscribers in November, taking the total number of users to 632.08 million, continuing the declining trend it started in May. The industry exhibited an aberration in the declining trend in September, when it added 6.5 million subscribers.
The subscriber addition in November is lower compared with the 7.12 million GSM users adding in October and 6.52 million in September, according to the data released by GSM operators' body the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI).
GSM is the leading standard for mobile telephony systems in the world, while CDMA is the other technology platform on which operators offer their services.
The Aditya Birla group company, Idea Cellular added 2.17 million new users during the reporting month, the highest addition by an operator, taking its total user-base to 103.99 million.
India's largest GSM operator Bharti Airtel added 0.96 million new subscribers, taking its total to 174.69 million users. The New Delhi-based company garnered a market share of 27.64 percent, a decline from 27.78 percent it had in November.
Vodafone Essar added 0.92 million new subscribers during November, taking its subscriber base to 146.84 million. The Mumbai-based firm maintained its market share at 23.23 percent.
State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd added 0.55 million and 33,666 new users, taking their total to 92.14 million and 5.39 million, respectively.
Aircel added 0.67 million new customers in November, increasing its subscriber base to 60.95 million, while Uninor added 1.86 million new users taking its total user base to 34.18 million.
Among the new entrants, Videocon saw a decline in users in November, while operators like Etisalat, S Tel and Loop also did not make dent the market much.
The market is completely dominated by the top 5 players who account for more than 90 per cent of the total market.
Circle-wise, the highest addition was in Uttar Pradesh (East), with the telecom service area adding 1.19 million new users in November. The circle, among the total 22 circles, also has the highest number of GSM users at 53.24 million.
| Operator | Total Sub Figures | Market Share % |
| Bharti Airtel | 174,692,673 | 27.64 |
| Vodafone Essar | 146,841,278 | 23.23 |
| Idea | 103,992,364 | 16.45 |
| BSNL | 92,142,010 | 14.58 |
| Aircel | 60,958,611 | 9.64 |
| Uninor | 34,181,955 | 5.41 |
| Videocon | 5,480,217 | 0.87 |
| MTNL | 5,397,378 | 0.85 |
| S-Tel | 3,563,152 | 0.56 |
| Loop Mobile | 3,223,924 | 0.51 |
| Etisalat | 1,610,824 | 0.25 |
| All India | 632,084,386 | 100.00 |
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