Indian GSM operators reverse slowing user addition trend in Sept

The Indian GSM sector reversed a slowing trend in customer additions and added 6.5 million subscribers in September, taking the total number to 618.28 million users.

The additions in September represent a 22 per cent growth from the 5.33 million subscribers added in the previous month, according to data compiled by Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI).

Subscriber additions had been declining for four months since May, and in August, the GSM subscriber addition was just 5.33 million, much lower than 7.65 million added in July.

Unitech Wireless added 1.92 million subscribers in September, the highest among all GSM-based mobile phone service providers, while Bharti Airtel, which added 0.93 million, continued to have the largest subscriber base of 172.8 million.

Vodafone Essar, with a 23.45-per cent market share, notched up 0.85 million new subscribers during the month. Its subscriber base reached 144.99 million in September.

Idea Cellular has added over 1.74 million subscribers in September, a growth of 1.74 per cent was recorded from the previous month.

State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), with 14.73 per cent market share, added 450,341 million subscribers, a growth of 0.50 per cent, taking its total subscriber base to 91 million.