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Tag: MTNL

  • Dialling into deeper losses as MTNL posts weak first quarter numbers

    Dialling into deeper losses as MTNL posts weak first quarter numbers

    MUMBAI: MTNL’s first quarter call sheet for FY26 is anything but music to investors’ ears. The state-run telecom player rang up a consolidated net loss for the three months ended 30 June 2025, as falling revenues and swelling expenses continued to choke its balance sheet. The company’s unaudited results, approved by its board on 13 August, showed total income at Rs 334.11 crore, down sharply from Rs 455.29 crore a year earlier. Revenue from operations slipped to Rs 329.36 crore, a 27.6 per cent drop year-on-year, with other income contributing Rs 4.75 crore.

    Expenses told an even starker story total outgo rose to Rs 425.92 crore, including operating costs of Rs 142.10 crore, employee benefits at Rs 42.16 crore, finance costs of Rs 64.12 crore, and depreciation and amortisation of Rs 105.28 crore.

    The red ink has left MTNL’s net worth in the negative, with accumulated losses outstripping its equity share capital. A long-running license fee battle with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting continues to loom large, the PSU has a provision of Rs 4,680.24 crore against the MIB’s April demand of Rs 8,735.67 crore (including interest) for fees since inception, a claim it is contesting in court.

    The bonds issued by MTNL remain unsecured, making certain SEBI disclosure norms inapplicable, but the financial stress remains very much on record and in the spotlight for shareholders watching every rupee spent.

  • TRAI telecom data: India’s rural surge, internet binge and DTH downfall ring loud in March

    TRAI telecom data: India’s rural surge, internet binge and DTH downfall ring loud in March

    MUMBAI: India’s telecom scene in March 2025 was a tale of two Indias—rural Bharat rising on data dreams and legacy players like BSNL and MTNL gasping for bars. According to TRAI’s fresh data, it was a month of gains for mobile and broadband, and growing static for DTH.

    The total number of wireless subscribers climbed slightly to 1,160.65 million, with rural India accounting for nearly 80 per cent of new additions. Villages added 1.1 million users, urban India added just 296,000—proof that the real action is beyond city limits.

    Reliance Jio was on fire, gaining 2.15 million wireless users and reinforcing its market leadership with 39.6 per cent share. Bharti Airtel added 1.03 million, keeping pace. Vodafone Idea lost nearly 700,000 subscribers, and BSNL continued its freefall with a 1.25 million loss.

    India’s broadband subscriber base touched 946.32 million, a monthly growth of 0.21 per cent. Unsurprisingly, 4G/5G mobile broadband accounted for 921.4 million of those connections—soaring on reels, reels, and more reels.

    On the wireline broadband front, Jio continued to hustle, adding over 320,000 subscribers, bringing its fixed-line share to 33.6 per cent. Airtel stayed solid with over 100,000 adds, while government dinosaurs BSNL and MTNL lost tens of thousands more. Between sluggish service and vanishing relevance, they’ve become the landline’s last rites.

    In the home entertainment arena, the direct-to-home (DTH) sector saw a slide. Total active DTH subscribers dropped to 64.17 million from 64.45 million—a fall of over 278,000 users in just one month.

    Cord-cutting is no longer a western trend; it’s happening across Indian homes as OTT apps and smart TVs eat into satellite’s share. Operators like Tata Play and Airtel Digital are still holding their ground, but the writing is on the (living room) wall.

    The big takeaway? Rural India is dialling up, streaming more, and finally enjoying digital parity. Jio’s aggressive expansion is paying off across both mobile and fibre, while BSNL’s steady subscriber bleed raises existential questions.

    DTH is beginning to look like the landline of television. The OTT wave is here, and it’s pulling viewers—and revenue—away from satellite.

    With spectrum auctions around the corner and AI-fuelled data demands skyrocketing, India’s telecom race is less about who picks up the call—and more about who controls the cloud.

  • TRAI releases telecom subscription data for 30 September 2024

    TRAI releases telecom subscription data for 30 September 2024

    New Delhi: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) unveiled its report on telecom subscription data as of 30 September 2024. The findings highlight trends across wireless and wireline segments, broadband subscriptions, and mobile number portability (MNP) requests, reflecting a dynamic yet challenging period for the sector.

    Decline in total subscribers

    India’s total telecom subscriber base saw a decline of 9.41 million in September, with numbers dropping from 1,200.07 million in August to 1,190.66 million. This translates to a monthly contraction of 0.78 per cent. Urban areas reported a slight dip in tele-density from 132.94 per cent to 131.86 per cent, while rural tele-density dropped from 59.05 per cent to 58.48 per cent. The declining figures underline challenges such as market saturation and migration of users to alternative communication platforms.

    Broadband subscriptions decreased by 0.51 per cent, from 949.21 million in August to 944.40 million in September. Mobile devices accounted for most of this decline, witnessing a contraction of 0.63 per cent. However, wired broadband and fixed wireless users showed growth, with increases of 1.83 per cent and 9.01 per cent, respectively. Reliance Jio retained its dominance with 477.94 million subscribers, followed by Bharti Airtel (285.17 million) and Vodafone Idea (126.36 million). These top players collectively command 98.42 per cent of the broadband market, underscoring limited competition in this segment.

    Wireline subscribers on the rise

    The wireline segment emerged as a bright spot, growing by 1.93 per cent to reach 36.93 million subscribers. Urban areas accounted for 92.14 per cent of these connections, highlighting an urban-centric growth trajectory. BSNL and MTNL, despite being public-sector entities, maintained a combined market share of 23.95 per cent, showcasing resilience amidst stiff competition.

    The wireless segment faced a challenging month with a decline of 10.11 million subscribers, a 0.87 per cent drop. Urban and rural wireless subscriptions declined by 0.80 per cent and 0.95 per cent, respectively, as affordability and service reliability remained key issues. Bharti Airtel led the active wireless subscriber base with a remarkable 99.27 per cent activity rate on its Visitor Location Register (VLR).

    The MNP service recorded 13.32 million requests in September, raising the cumulative total to 1,039.11 million. Zone-I, encompassing Northern and Western India, saw Uttar Pradesh-East leading the pack with 100.56 million porting requests. In Zone-II, Madhya Pradesh topped the charts with 81.06 million requests, reflecting high user dissatisfaction or a quest for better services.

    Regional tele-density variations

    Tele-density across circles revealed stark disparities. Delhi boasted the highest tele-density at 278.55 per cent, while Bihar recorded the lowest at 56.40 per cent. This gap highlights persistent inequalities in telecom penetration across states.

    While the report signals challenges, particularly in the wireless and rural segments, it also hints at potential opportunities in wireline growth and broadband expansion. As operators strive to innovate and enhance service quality, the sector remains poised for a possible turnaround. 

  • TRAI reports 940 mn broadband users & telecom growth surge

    TRAI reports 940 mn broadband users & telecom growth surge

    Mumbai: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released its latest report on telecom subscription data as of 30 June 2024. The total number of broadband subscribers in India has reached 940.75 million, marking a steady increase with wireless broadband subscribers numbering 898.92 million and wireline broadband subscribers at 41.83 million. This represents a modest growth of 0.60 per cent in the broadband segment over the past month.

    In terms of telephone subscriptions, the country now has 1,205.64 million total subscribers, including both wireless and wireline connections. Urban areas account for 667.13 million of these subscribers, while rural areas contribute 538.51 million. The overall tele-density has seen a slight rise to 85.95 per cent from the previous month’s 85.87 per cent.

    Mobile number portability (MNP) statistics show that 11.84 million requests were recorded in June 2024, bringing the cumulative total since MNP’s introduction to 997.44 million. The highest volume of MNP requests were concentrated in Uttar Pradesh-East and Maharashtra, indicating significant consumer movement within the telecom sector.

    The number of active wireless subscribers, determined by the peak visitor location register (VLR), was 1,061.04 million for June 2024. This indicates that 90.65 per cent of the total wireless subscriber base was actively using their services.

    Among broadband service providers, Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd leads with 488.94 million subscribers, followed by Bharti Airtel Ltd. with 281.36 million and Vodafone Idea Ltd. with 127.82 million. The top five broadband providers collectively hold a dominant market share of 98.37 per cent.

    The wireline segment has seen a growth of 0.37 million subscribers, bringing the total to 35.11 million and raising the wireline tele-density to 2.50 per cent. Wireless subscribers have increased to 1,170.53 million, with a growth rate of 0.13 per cent for the month.

    In terms of market shares, private access service providers dominate the wireless segment with a market share of 92.51 per cent, while BSNL and MTNL together hold a 7.49 per cent share. In the wireline sector, PSUs account for 26.08 per cent of the market share as of June 2024.
     

  • Jio overtakes Hathway wired broadband subscriber base in Jun-20

    Jio overtakes Hathway wired broadband subscriber base in Jun-20

    BENGALURU: Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio Infocomm (Jio) has been the largest broadband internet services provider in the country – a major portion of its subscriber base is wireless internet – through the mobile phone. However, the player is also making strides in terms of customer acquisition for its wireline broadband internet services. Per Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) data for the month ended 30 June 2020 (Jun-20), Jio climbed up one spot to fourth place in terms of wireline broadband internet subscribers, pushing down its sister company Hathway Cable & Datacom (Hathway) to fifth rank. Overall, wired broadband internet subscriber base grew 2.29 percent month-on-month (m-o-m) to 1.982 crore (198.2 lakh, 19.82 million) in Jun-20 from 1.938 crore (193.8 lakh, 19.38 crore) in May-19. Jio’s wireline subscriber base grew 9.3 percent m-o-m in Jun-19 to 0.106 crore (10.6 lakh, 1.06 million) from 0.097 crore (9.7 lakh, 0.97 million) in May-20.

    The public sector Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) had the largest wireline internet subscriber base of 0.79 crore (79 lakh, 7.9 million) in Jun-19 as compared to 0.793 crore (79.3 lakh, 7.93 million) in the previous month. Bharati Airtel (Airtel) was ranked second in terms of wireline broadband subscriber base. The telecom major closed June 2020 with 0.247 crore (24.7 lakh, 2.47 million) subscribers, up by around 60,000 as compared to the 0.241 crore (24.1 lakh, 2.41 million) wireline broadband subscribers in May-20. 

    Read more news on Hathway

    At third place was Atria Convergence Technologies (ACT) with 0.168 crore (16.8 lakh, 1.68 million). Subscribers as compared to 0.164 crore (16.4 lakh, 1.64 million).As mentioned above, Jio was ranked fourth followed by Hathway at fifth rank. Hathway subscriber base grew by 70,000 to 0.097 crore (9.7 lakh, 0.97 million) in Jun-20 from 0.09 crore (9 lakh, 0.9 million) in May-20. Please refer to the figure below:

    All Broadband Internet Subscribers

    Subscriber base across All Broadband Internet platforms grew 2.11 percent in Jun-20 to 69.823 crore (6,982.3 lakh, 698.23 million) from 68.377 crore (6,837.7 lakh, 683.77 million) at the end of the previous week. Subscriber base growth was led by Mobile devices users to 67.779 crore (6,777.9 lakh, 677.79 million) at the end of Jun-20 from 66.378 crore (6,637.8 lakh, 663.78 million) in May-30. Fixed wireless subscribers (Wi-I, Wi-Max, Point-to-Point Radio and VSAT) grew by 2.23 percent to 0.063 crore (6.3 lakh, 0.63 million) in Jun-20 from 0.061 crore (6.1 lakh, 0.61 million) above. Data for wireline subscribers have been indicated above.

    Read more news on Jio

    Please refer to the figure below:

    The top five service providers constituted 98.93 percent market share of the total broadband subscribers at the end of June-20. These service providers wereJio with 39.831 crore (3,9831 lakh, 398.31 million), Airtel 15.13 crore (1,513 lakh, 151.30 million), Vodafone Idea with 11.645 crore (1,164.5 lakh, 116.45 million), BSNL 2.3 crore (230 lakh, 23 million) and ACT with 0.168 crore (16.8 lakh, 1.68 million).

    As on 30th June, 2020, the top five Wireless Broadband Service providers were Jio with 38.725 crore (3,972.5 lakh, 397.25 million), Bharti Airtel with 14.884 crore (1,488.4 lakh, 148.84 million), Vodafone Idea with 11.644 crore (1,164.4 lakh, 116.44 million), BSNL with 1.51 crore (151 lakh, 15.10 million) and MTNL with 0.016 crore (1.6 lakh, 0.16 million).

  • Broadband subscriber growth picks up in October 2019

    Broadband subscriber growth picks up in October 2019

    BENGALURU: Overall broadband internet subscribers in India grew by 1.866 crore or 2.98 per cent  in the month ended 31 October 2019 (Oct-19) from the numbers reported by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India for the month ended 30 September 2019 (Sep-19). TRAI reported 62.542 crore (625.42 million or 6,254.2 lakh) broadband internet subscribers across all segments for Sep-19. This number grew to 64.408 crore (644.08 million or 6,440.8 lakh) in Oct-19 as per the latest numbers published by Trai.

    Subscriber growth for Oct-19 was the third highest over a 22-month period starting Jan-18 until Oct-19 in absolute numbers. In percentage terms, Oct-19 saw the ninth highest growth during the same period. Over the period under consideration in the paper, broadband internet subscriber growth has been on a decline as is evident from the black trend line the graph below:

    The figure below shows the subscriber growth ranking for the months during the period under consideration in this paper in terms of absolute growth numbers as well as per centage terms.

    Trai data reveals that broadband subscribers grew by 1.857 crore (18.57 million or 185.7 lakh) or 3.06 per cent to 62.441 crore in Oct-19 from 60.584 crore (605.84 million or 6,054.8 lakh) in Sep-19 on the Mobiles (Phones and dongles) segment. Wired broadband internet segment grew by 0.007 crore (0.07 million or 0.07 lakh) or 0.37 per cent in Oct-19 to 1.908 crore(19.08 million or 190.8 lakh) from 1.901 crore (19.01 million or 190.1 lakh) in Sep-19. Fixed wireless – WiFi, WiMax, Point to Pont, Radio, Vsat subscribers grew 0.002 crore (0.02 million or 0.2 lakh) or 4.22 per cent to 0.059 crore (0.59 million or 5.9 lakh) in Oct-19 from 0.057 crore (0.57 million or 5.7 lakh) in the previous month.

    Please refer to the figure below.

    Top 5 Broadband Internet Subscribers

    According to Trai data, the top five broadband internet service providers constituted 98.98 per cent market share of the total broadband subscribers at the end of Oct-19. These service providers were Reliance JioInfocom Ltd 36.512 crore (365.12 million or 3,651.2 lakh), Bharti Airtel 13.286 crore (132.86 million or 1,328.6 lakh), Vodafone Idea 11.580 crore (115.80 million or 1,158 lakh), BSNL 2.27 crore (22.27 million or 2,227 lakh) and Atria Convergence 0.149 crore (1.49 million or 14.9 lakh).

    Top 5 wireless broadband internet subscribers

    As on 31 October, 2019, the top five wireless broadband service providers were Reliance Jio Infocom Ltd with 36.433 crore (364.33 million or 3,643.3 lakh), Bharti Airtel with 13.045 crore (130.45 million or 1,304.5 lakh), Vodafone Idea with 11.578 crore (115.78 million or 1,157.8 lakh), BSNL with 1.364 crore (13.64 million 136.4 lakh) and MTNL with 0.02 crore (0.20 million or 20 lakh) subscribers.

    Top 5 wired broadband internet subscribers

    As on 31 October, 2019, the top five Wired Broadband Service providers were BSNL with 0.862 crore (8.62 million, 86.2 lakh), Bharti Airtel 0.24 crore (2.40 million or 24 lakh), Atria Convergence Technologies with 0.149 crore (1.49 million or 14.9 lakh), Hathway Cable & Datacom with 0.087 crore (0.87 million or 8.7 lakh) and Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd with 0.079 crore (0.79 million or 7.9 lakh). Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited is a new entrant to the top 5 list in October 2019. It replaced You Broadband which had 0.075 crore (0.75 million or 7.9 lakh) broadband internet subscribers in Sep-19. BSNL and Bharti Airtel Limited both lost wired broadband internet subscribers in Oct-19.

    The top five wired broadband internet service providers lost 80,000 subscribers in Oct-19. Since the wired internet broadband subscriber base grew by 70,000 during the same period, other smaller service providers which include MSOs and LCOs must have added 150,000 subscribers in Oct-19.

  • Middling broadband subscriber growth in November 2019

    Middling broadband subscriber growth in November 2019

    BENGALURU: Overall broadband internet subscribers in India grew by 1.719 crore or 2.67 percent  in the month ended 30November 2019 (Nov-19) from the numbers reported by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India for the month ended 30 October 2019 (Oct-19). Trai had reported 64.408 crore (644.48 million or 6,440.8 lakh) broadband internet subscribers across all segments for Oct-19. This number grew to 66.127 crore (661.27 million or 6,612.7 lakh) in Nov-19 as per the latest numbers published by Trai.

    Subscriber growth for Nov-19 was the fifth highest over a 23 month period starting Jan-18 until Nov-19 in absolute numbers. In percentage terms, Nov-19 saw the twelfth highest growth during the same period. Over the period under consideration in the paper, broadband internet subscriber growth has been on a decline as is evident from the black trend line the graph below:

    The figure below shows the subscriber growth ranking for the months during the period under consideration in this paper in terms of absolute growth numbers as well as percentage terms.

    Trai data reveals that broadband subscribers grew by 1.713 crore (1.713 million or 171.3 lakh) or 2.74 percent to 64.154crore (641.54 million, 6,415.4 lakh) in Nov-19 from 62.441 crore (624.41 million or 6,244.1 lakh) in Oct-19 on the Mobiles (Phones and dongles) segment. Wired broadband internet segment grew by 0.005 crore (0.05 million or 0.05 lakh) or 0.28 percent in Nov-19 to 1.913 crore(19.13 million or 191.3 lakh) from 1.908 crore (19.08 million or 190.8 lakh) in Oct-19. Fixed wireless – WiFi, WiMax, Point to Pont, Radio, Vsat subscribers grew 0.001 crore (0.01 million or 0.1 lakh) or 0.47 percent to 0.06 crore (0.6 million or 6 lakh) in Nov-19 from 0.059 crore (0.59 million or 5.9 lakh) in the previous month.

    Please refer to the figure below.

    Top 5 Broadband Internet Subscribers

    Top five service providers constituted 98.99 percent market share of the total broadband subscribers at the end of Nov-19. These service providers were Reliance Jio
    Infocomm Ltd with 37.076 crore (370.76 million, 3,707.6 lakh) subscribers, Bharti Airtel with 13.992 (139.92 million, 1,399.2 lakh) subscribers, Vodafone Idea with 11.989 crore (119.89 million, 1,198.9 lakh) subscribers, BSNL with 2.254 crore (22.54 million, 225.4 lakh)  subscribers and Atria Convergence with 0.15 crore (1.50 million, 15 lakh) subscribers.

    Top 5 Wireless broadband Internet Subscribers

    As on 30th November, 2019, the top five Wireless Broadband Service providers were Reliance Jio Infocom Ltd  with 36.993 crore (369.93 million, 3,699.3 lakh) subscribers, Bharti Airtel with 13.751 crore (137.51 million, 1,375.1 lakh) subscribers, Vodafone Idea with 11.987 crore (119.87 million, 1,198.7 lakh)BSNL with 1.402 crore (14.02 million, 140.2 lakh) and MTNL 0.02 crore (0.20 million, 2 lakh).

    Top 5 Wired broadband Internet Subscribers

    As on 30th November, 2019, the top five Wired Broadband Service providers were BSNL with 0.851 crore (8.51 million, 85.1 lakh) subscribers, Bharti Airtel with 0.241 crore (2.41 million, 24.1 lakh) subscribers, Atria Convergence Technologies with 0.15 crore (1.50 million, 15 lakh) subscribers, Hathway Cable & Datacom with 0.088 crore (0.88 million, 8.8 lakh) subscribers and Reliance JioInfocomm Ltd with 0.083 crore (0.83 million, 8.3 lakh).Reliance JioInfocomm Limited was a new entrant to the top 5 list in October 2019. It replaced You Broadband which had 0.075 crore (0.75 million or 7.9 lakh) broadband internet subscribers in Sep-19. BSNL lost wired broadband internet subscribers in Nov-19. 

    The top 5 wired broadband internet service providers lost 40,000 subscribers in Nov-19. Since the wired internet broadband subscriber base grew by 50,000 during the same period, other smaller service providers which include MSOs and LCOs must have added 90,000 subscribers in Nov-19.
     

  • Broadband subscriber growth picked up in Oct-19

    Broadband subscriber growth picked up in Oct-19

    BENGALURU: Overall broadband internet subscribers in India grew by 1.866 crore or 2.98 percent  in the month ended 31 October 2019 (Oct-19) from the numbers reported by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India for the month ended 30 September 2019 (Sep-19). Trai had reported 62.542 crore (625.42 million or 6,254.2 lakh) broadband internet subscribers across all segments for Sep-19. This number grew to 64.408 crore (644.08 million or 6,440.8 lakh) in Oct-19 as per the latest numbers published by Trai.

    Subscriber growth for Oct-19 was the third highest over a 22 month period starting Jan-18 until Oct-19 in absolute numbers. In percentage terms, Oct-19 saw the ninth highest growth during the same period. Over the period under consideration in the paper, broadband internet subscriber growth has been on a decline as is evident from the black trend line the graph below:

    The figure below shows the subscriber growth ranking for the months during the period under consideration in this paper in terms of absolute growth numbers as well as percentage terms.

    Trai data reveals that broadband subscribers grew by 1.857 crore (18.57 million or 185.7 lakh) or 3.06 percent to 62.441 crore in Oct-19 from 60.584 crore (605.84 million or 6,054.8 lakh) in Sep-19 on the Mobiles (Phones and dongles) segment. Wired broadband internet segment grew by 0.007 crore (0.07 million or 0.07 lakh) or 0.37 percent in Oct-19 to 1.908 crore(19.08 million or 190.8 lakh) from 1.901 crore (19.01 million or 190.1 lakh) in Sep-19. Fixed wireless – WiFi, WiMax, Point to Pont, Radio, Vsat subscribers grew 0.002 crore (0.02 million or 0.2 lakh) or 4.22 percent to 0.059 crore (0.59 million or 5.9 lakh) in Oct-19 from 0.057 crore (0.57 million or 5.7 lakh) in the previous month.

    Please refer to the figure below.

    Top 5 Broadband Internet Subscribers

    According to Trai data, the top five broadband internet service providers constituted 98.98 percent market share of the total broadband subscribers at the end of Oct-19. These service providers were Reliance JioInfocom Ltd 36.512 crore (365.12 million or 3,651.2 lakh), Bharti Airtel 13.286 crore (132.86 million or 1,328.6 lakh), Vodafone Idea 11.580 crore (115.80 million or 1,158 lakh), BSNL 2.27 crore (22.27 million or 2,227 lakh) and Atria Convergence 0.149 crore (1.49 million or 14.9 lakh).

    Top 5 Wireless broadband Internet Subscribers

    As on 31October, 2019, the top five Wireless Broadband Service providers were Reliance Jio Infocom Ltd with 36.433 crore (364.33 million or 3,643.3 lakh), Bharti Airtel with 13.045 crore (130.45 million or 1,304.5 lakh), Vodafone Idea with 11.578 crore (115.78 million or 1,157.8 lakh), BSNL with 1.364 crore (13.64 million 136.4 lakh) and MTNL with 0.02 crore (0.20 million or 20 lakh) subscribers.

    Top 5 Wired broadband Internet Subscribers

    As on 31 October, 2019, the top five Wired Broadband Service providers were BSNL with 0.862 crore (8.62 million, 86.2 lakh), Bharti Airtel 0.24 crore (2.40 million or 24 lakh), Atria Convergence Technologies with 0.149 crore (1.49 million or 14.9 lakh), Hathway Cable & Datacom with 0.087 crore (0.87 million or 8.7 lakh) and Reliance JioInfocomm Ltd with 0.079 crore (0.79 million or 7.9 lakh). Reliance JioInfocomm Limited is a new entrant to the top 5 list in October 2019. It replaced You Broadband which had 0.075 crore (0.75 million or 7.9 lakh) broadband internet subscribers in Sep-19. BSNL and Bharti Airtel Limited both lost wired broadband internet subscribers in Oct-19. 

    The top 5 wired broadband internet service providers lost 80,000 subscribers in Oct-19. Since the wired internet broadband subscriber base grew by 70,000 during the same period, other smaller service providers which include MSOs and LCOs must have added 150,000 subscribers in Oct-19.
     

  • Broadband internet subscriber growth petering out?

    Broadband internet subscriber growth petering out?

    BENGALURU: Has the broadband internet subscriber growth in the country started petering out in 2019? Analysis of Telecom subscription data furnished by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) indicates that month-on-month subscriber growth rates are reducing despite the stupendous growth at the start of calendar year 2019 (CY 2019). The latest data from TRAI is for the month ended 30 September 2019 or Sep-19 (month under consideration). Sep-19 saw broadband internet subscribers grow by just 0.999 crore in net absolute numbers, or by 1.62 percent from the previous month Aug-19. In absolute number of subscriber additions, Sep-19 was ranked 15 over a 21 month period and was ranked 17 over the same period in percentage terms.

    Please refer to the figure below:

    During the 21 month period under consideration in this paper, Jan-19 saw the highest number of subscriber additions at 2.149 crore (21.49 million or 214.9 lakh). Jan-19 was ranked third during the 21 month period in terms of percentage growth at 4.1 percent. Mar-18 saw the highest subscriber growth in percentage terms at 5.2%. In absolute numbers, Mar-19 saw the second highest number of subscriber addition at 2.054 crore (20.54 million, 205.4 lakh).

    Please refer to the figure below:

    Broadband Internet Segment Trends

    TRAI has segmented Broadband internet into 3 main platforms, viz. Wired; Mobiles (Phones and dongles); and Fixed wireless- WiFi, Wi Max, Point to Point, Radio, Vsat. As has been the norm, the Mobile (Phones and dongles) had the highest subscriber growth in terms of absolute numbers at 0.929 crore or 9.29 million or 92.9 lakh (at 1.97 percent) in Sep-19 over Aug-19. In percentage terms, the Wired Broadband internet segment had the highest growth in Sep-19 over Aug-19 at 3.96 percent. Please refer to the figure below:

    Overall Broadband Internet Subscribers on all platforms

    The top five service providers constituted 98.96 percent market share of the total broadband subscribers at the end of Sep-19. These service providers were Reliance Jio Infocom Ltd 35.593 crore (355.93 million, 3,559.3 lakh) subscribers, Bharti Airtel with 12.783 crore (127.83 million, 1,278.3 lakh) subscribers, Vodafone Idea with 11.219 crore (112.19 million, 1,121.9 lakh) subscribers, BSNL with 2.152 crore (21.52 million, 215.2 lakh) subscribers and Atria Convergence 0.148 crore (1.48 million, 14.8 lakh) subscribers. All the five players saw subscriber growth in Sep-19.

    Wireless Broadband Internet Subscribers

    The top five Wireless Broadband Service providers were Reliance Jio Infocom Ltd with 35.522 crore (355.22 million, 3,552.2 lakh) subscribers , Bharti Airtel with 12.542 crore (125.42 million, 1,254.2 lakh) subscribers, Vodafone Idea with 11.217 crore (112.17 million, 1,121.7 lakh) subscribers, BSNL with 1.282 crore (12.82 million, 128.2 lakh) subscribers and MTNL with 0.021 crore (0.21 million, 2.1 lakh) subscribers. The first four ranks saw their subscribers grow, while MTNL witnessed a flat growth in Sep-19.

    Wired Broadband Internet Subscribers

    The top five Wired Broadband Service providers were BSNL with 0.869 crore (8.69 million, 86.9 lakh) subscribers, Bharti Airtel with 0.241 crore (2.41 million, 24.1 lakh) subscribers, Atria Convergence Technologies with 0.148 crore (1.48 million, 14.8 lakh) subscribers, Hathway Cable & Datacom with 0.086 crore (0.86 million, 8.6 lakh) subscribers and You Broadband with 0.075 crore (0.75 million, 7.5 lakh) subscribers.

    Wired broadband subscriber base grew by 69,000 according to TRAI data, but the top 5 Wired Broadband Internet players saw their combined subscriber base erode by 80,000. This indicates that the other internet service players which include MSOs’s and LCOs’ added 0.0149 crore (0.149 million or 1.49 lakh). Among the top 5 wired broadband internet players, it was only the public sector that saw erosion of its subscriber base – by 0.01 crore (0.1 million, 1 lakh). ACT and Hathway saw subscriber additions of 10,000, while Airtel and You Broadband saw no fresh subscriber additions.

  • Jio, Airtel led wireless broadband subscriber growth in Aug-19

    Jio, Airtel led wireless broadband subscriber growth in Aug-19

    BENGALURU: MukeshDhirubhai Ambani’s largest startup in the world in the form of Reliance JioInfocomm Ltd (Jio) reported the largest growth in wireless broadband subscribers for the month ended 31 August 2019 (Aug-19) in terms of absolute numbers. The Sunil Mittal headed Bharti Airtel reported the largest growth in percentage terms for the same period. While Jio’swireless broadband subscriber base grew by 0.305 crore (3.05 million or 30.5 lakh) or by 0.9 percent, Airtels’ subscriber base grew 2.3 percent or 0.276 crore (2.76 million, 27.6 lakh) in Aug-31 as compared to Jul-19. The top 5 wireless internet subscriber base grew 1 percent or by 0.612 crore (6.12 million, 61.2 lakh) in Aug-19 as compared to Jul-19.

    Please refer to the chart below:

    Top 5 Broadband Internet service providers across all platforms

    The top five broadband service providers constituted 98.96 percent market share of the total broadband subscribers at the end of Aug-19. These service providers were Jiowith 34.824 crore (348.24 million, 3,482.4 lakh) subscribers, Bharti Airtel with 12.67 crore (126.70 million, 1,267 lakh) subscribers, Vodafone Idea with 11.111 crore (111.11 million, 1,111,1 lakh) subscribers, BSNL with 2.15 crore (21.50 million, 215 lakh) subscribers and Atria Convergence Technologies  or ACT with 0.147 crore (1.47 million, 14.7 lakh) subscribers.

    Overall, the country’s broadband subscriber base across all platforms grew 1.87 percent in Aug-19 from Jul-19. Internet through mobiles and phones witnessed subscriber growth of 1.97 percent or 1.15 crore (11.5 million, 115 lakh) during the period under review as compared to the previous month. Wired broadband internet subscriber base declined by 20,000 or by 1.08 percent to 1.832 crore (18.32 million, 183.2 lakh) subscribers from 1.852 crore (18.52 million, 185.2 lakh) subscribers. Please refer to the chart below.

    The chart below shows the month-on-month (MOM) growth of broadband internet subscribers for a 20 month period starting Jan-18 till Aug-19. During this 20 month period, subscriber base growth was ranked 13 in terms of growth in absolute numbers and was ranked 14 in terms of percentage growth.

    Please refer to the chart below:

    Wired Broadband Internet Subscribers

    As on 31st August, 2019, the top five Wired Broadband Service providers were BSNL with 0.879 crore (8.79 million, 87.9 lakh) subscribers, Bharti Airtel with 0.241 crore (2.41 million, 24.1 lakh) subscribers, ACT with 0.147 crore (1.47 million, 14.7 lakh) subscribers, Hathway Cable & Datacom with 0.085 crore (0.85 million, 8.5 lakh) subscribers and You Broadband with 0.075 crore (0.75 million, 7.5 lakh) subscribers. BSNL saw its subscriber base decline by 0.026 crore (0.26 million, 2.6 lakh), Airtel saw its base grow by 10,000 to 0.241 crore (24.1 million, 24.1 crore). The other three players among the top 5 wired internet service providers showed no change in the month of Aug-19 as compared to Jul-19.