India's telephone subscriber base stands at 939mn: DoT

As per figures put together by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), India’s telephone subscriber base grew by 4.42 percent to 939.57 million, while the teledensity rose to 77.28 percent at the end of August 2012. The user base was 899.78 million, and the teledensity was 74.96 percent at the end of August 2011. However, while the telephone subscriber base saw a rise, the wireline user base in the country fell to 31.2 million by August end this year from 34.1 million in August 2011.

The number of wireless phones in the country increased to 908.3 million in August 2012 from 865.7 million in the same period last year. As per the figures, BSNL and MTNL continue to have the majority share in wireline segment. Private operators topped the wireless space. The state-run telecom firms, BSNL and MTNL, amassed a 79.93 percent market share in the wireline phones segment, but managed only a 11.51 percent share in the wireless segment.

DoT pegs subscriber base at 939.57 million (Image Credit: Getty Images)

BSNL’s CMD R K Upadhyay was quoted as saying that the company was working towards retaining its landline customers by launching consumer loyalty programmes and offering various plans for landline broadband connections. Upadhyay added that the shift from wireline to wireless phones is now stable in the country.

Bharti Airtel emerged at the top with a market share of 20.24 percent, followed by Vodafone Essar, which amassed a market share of 16.32 per cent. Reliance Group has a market share of 14.46 per cent, BSNL and MTNL 13.78 percent, and Idea 12.34 percent during the period.

The contribution from the urban areas as far as the number of telephones go, decreased to 63.77 percent at the end of August 2012, while the share of rural areas has increased to 36.23 percent. “Urban areas have 599.18 million phones while rural areas have 340.38 million phones at the end of August 2012,” the report added.

Recently, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) shared figures as part of its 'Highlights on Telecom Subscription Data as on 31st August 2012'. It found that the telecom subscriber base in India has declined to 939.57 million subscribers at the end of August 2012 from 944.81 million subscribers at the end of July 2012, in the continuation of a disappointing trend. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) released these figures yesterday as part of its 'Highlights on Telecom Subscription Data as on 31st August 2012'.

In addition to registering a negative growth rate in the review period, the share of urban subscribers fell to 63.77 percent from 63.83 percent, while the share of rural subscribers increased to 36.23 percent in the month of August 2012. The wireless segment in the country comprising GSM, CDMA and FWP fared no better. The total wireless subscriber base in the country fell from 913.49 million in July 2012 to 908.36 million at the end of August 2012, thereby registering a monthly growth of -0.56 percent.

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