Mobile user base grows to 993.43 mn in June 2018
01 Aug 2018
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India’s private telecom service providers have a total of 993.43 million mobile subscribers, with Bharti Airtel continuing to hold the top position with a total user base of 344.56 million. Bharti Airtel, the country’s largest operator by subscribers, added 10,689 subscribers in June 2018, according to data released by industry body Cellular Operators’ Association of India (COAI).
Airtel is followed by Vodafone India, which ended at 222.73 million subscribers. Idea Cellular had the maximum number of subscriber additions, adding 6.3 million to bring its total subscribers to 220.59 million, it added.
“We are glad to see the constant growth of the subscribers’ base and expansion of connectivity in the rural areas. With this increasing reach, people are also shifting to 4G technology. As the Draft National Digital Communications Policy 2018 proposes extending exemptions for the construction of telecom towers and provide accelerated Rights of Way permissions for telecom tower, the telecom connectivity will soon reach to the last person of the country,” Rajan S Mathews, Director General at COAI said.
COAI data does not include monthly subscriber figures of BSNL, MTNL, Tata and RCom, while that of Reliance Jio Infocomm (May 2018) are included.
”The growth seen in mobile subscribers this month is encouraging, and the industry is working daily to ensure that connectivity reaches the farthest corners of the country,” he added.
Among telecom service areas, UP (East) remained at the top with a total of 86.88 million subscribers, while Maharashtra remained at second position with a total of 83.73 million mobile subscribers.
Mobile connectivity and data services are imperative in the goal to bridge the digital divide in India. 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 in view of the mounting financial debt and debilitating financial health of the industry, it said.
The industry remains committed towards working for a fully connected and digitally empowered India and, furthering the Prime Minister’s vision of building a Digital India to empower the country’s citizens with access to information via the Internet and crucial government services.
