US-Iran war CJP protest in Delhi US-Saudi nuclear deal Commonwealth Games 2026 Wildfires in Europe

India Adds 6.7 mln Mobile Users in October

India, the world's fastest growing wireless services market, added 6.71 million new users in October.

Fptechno|Nov 16, 2006, 10:00:00 IST

India, the world's fastest growing wireless services market, added 6.71 million new users in October, boosting its mobile base to 136.22 million, the telecoms regulator said on Wednesday.

Rock bottom local mobile call rates of as low as 2-3 U.S. cents a minute, falling handset prices and a nationwide expansion by carriers are fuelling net monthly additions, which now exceed the population of Israel. Of the new additions, 4.7 million signed up for services based on the widely prevalent GSM platform, and the rest opted for facilities that run on CDMA technology. Nearly 6.07 million joined the booming sector in September.Many users are returning fixed-line phones as they shift to mobiles. The past month saw a decline 190,000 in fixed phones to 40.56 million.

Overall, India's total telephone base rose to 176.78 million customers in October, compared with 170.26 million in September.

Major players in the sector include Bharti Airtel Ltd., Reliance Communications Ltd., state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. and Hutchison Essar Ltd.

Why AI notetakers are raising serious privacy and security concerns

AI notetakers promise effortless meeting summaries, but experts warn they could expose confidential conversations, corporate secrets and personal voiceprints. As businesses increasingly adopt AI-powered meeting assistants, questions over data storage, privacy, consent and legal risks are becoming impossible to ignore

5 min read

China's low-cost AI models are changing the global AI race. Here's why Silicon Valley is worried

As Chinese firms continue to improve performance while keeping prices low, the AI race is no longer just about building the smartest model—it is increasingly becoming a battle over who can deliver the best value

2 min read

China's Kimi K3 challenges US AI leaders with frontier-level performance at lower cost

Chinese artificial intelligence startup Moonshot AI has unveiled its latest open-weight AI model, Kimi K3, with early results suggesting it could compete with some of the world's most advanced AI systems developed by leading US companies

2 min read

How did Instagram run ads promoting child abuse in India?

India has issued a notice to Meta after an investigation alleged that Instagram displayed paid advertisements promoting child sexual abuse material. MeitY ordered Meta to remove such Instagram ads and explain within seven days how they were approved

8 min read

Why has India halted WhatsApp’s username feature before launch?

India has halted WhatsApp’s planned username feature, citing concerns about cybercrime, impersonation, and law enforcement challenges. As Meta races to address security concerns, here’s why MeitY has paused the rollout, what the feature does, and how it could influence privacy and online safety in India

3 min read

Up Next