India mobile subscribers rise to 946.66 mn
24 Oct 2017
India's private telecom service providers, including new entrant Reliance Jio Infocomm and state-run Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL), have amassed a total of 946.66 million subscribers as of September-end.
Amongst the individual companies, Bharti Airtel continues to hold the top position, with 29.80 per cent market share, and addied another 1 million subscribers during September to take its total base to 282.04 million users. Airtel is closely followed by Vodafone India, which stands at 207.44 million, while Idea Cellular stood at 190.15 million subscribers as of September-end, according to data released by Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI).
Among individual circles, UP (East) remained at the top with total 83.46 million subscribers, while Maharashtra remained at second position with a total of 79.20 million mobile subscribers. Bihar was a close third with total 76.15 million subscribers. Kerala and Haryana led in the growth percentage of new additions with 0.69 per cent and 0.37 per cent, respectively, followed by Gujarat with 0.14 per cent growth in September 2017.
Mumbai and Delhi added 273,250 and 136,216 subscribers respectively, with total of 30.17 million and 47.57 million subscribers, respectively.
''The increase of subscribers in Kerala, Haryana and Gujarat shows that there is still room for basic services to grow and expand to the corners of the country. The steady investment in infrastructure in these regions is showing positive result. The industry is reeling under a cumulative debt of over Rs 4.6 lakh crores. The industry further needs an additional investment of over Rs 2.5 lakh crore for infrastructure rollout and expansion, especially in the far flung areas of the country,'' said Rajan Mathews, Director General at COAI.
Mobile connectivity and data services have played a pivotal role in bridging the digital divide and moving India towards a truly equitable and democratic nation. The telecom industry, therefore, deserves an urgent and immediate intervention to encourage policy and regulatory stability, and facilitate growth, innovation and investment in the sector.
