Key Points
- BSNL gained 8.49 lakh subscribers in September, its second consecutive monthly increase.
- Reliance Jio lost 79.69 lakh subscribers, Bharti Airtel lost 14.34 lakh, and Vodafone Idea lost 15.53 lakh subscribers.
- The drop in subscribers for private operators was due to tariff hikes introduced in July.
- BSNL’s total subscribers reached 9.18 crore by the end of September.
- Data from TRAI showed a 0.87% decrease in the total number of wireless subscriptions in India.
- 13.32 million mobile number portability (MNP) requests were made in September.
Looma News
BSNL continued to grow its mobile subscriber base in September, adding 8.49 lakh new customers, marking its second straight month of growth. By the end of the month, BSNL’s total subscriber count reached 9.18 crore. On the other hand, private telecom operators saw significant losses due to tariff hikes introduced in July. Reliance Jio lost 79.69 lakh subscribers, Bharti Airtel lost 14.34 lakh, and Vodafone Idea lost 15.53 lakh subscribers. These losses were a result of tariff hikes ranging from 10% to 27%.
According to data from TRAI, the overall wireless subscriber base in India dropped by 0.87% in September, falling from 1,163.83 million to 1,153.72 million. Both urban and rural subscriptions experienced declines. Urban wireless subscriptions decreased by 0.80%, from 633.21 million to 628.12 million, while rural subscriptions dropped by 0.95%, from 530.63 million to 525.60 million.
In terms of total telephone subscriptions, India saw a 0.78% decrease, with the total number falling from 1,200.07 million in August to 1,190.66 million by the end of September. Mobile number portability (MNP) requests for the month stood at 13.32 million.
BSNL, unlike its private competitors, announced in October that it would not raise its tariffs anytime soon, positioning itself as a more affordable choice for users. This latest data highlights the ongoing changes in India’s telecom market as pricing strategies and customer retention efforts continue to shape the industry.
