October adds highest ever mobile subscribers at 10.42 million

During these times of cutbacks there's one thing which Indians are buying in abundance-mobile connections. During the month of October the country added the highest-ever addition to the mobile subscriber base at 10.42 million taking the total number of mobile users to over 325 million, according to the data released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai). India already has the distinction of being the world’s fastest growing telecom market.

During the month of September, the total (GSM, CDMA and WLL) addition was of 10.07 million.

However, the net addition of about 10.29 million users (wireline and wireless) during the month, could have been higher but for the decline in the landline user base. The landline wireline segment saw the subscriber base falling to 38.22 million in October from 38.35 million in September. During September the net addition stood at 9.79 million. The total number of both wireless and wireline users now stand at 363.95 million, Trai said.

With this, the overall tele-density stood at 31.50% at the end of October against 30.64% in September. The total broadband subscriber base rose to 5.05 million by the end of October 2008 from 4.90 million in September.

In terms of break-up of the mobile subscriber figures, during October the GSM players added their highest-ever addition of around 8 million taking their user base to 242 million. Projections are that by the year end the total GSM user base would stand at 250 million.

Commenting on the record growth, TV Ramachandran, director general, Cellular Operators Association of India had earlier said, “the ongoing, vibrant growth of the GSM sector that with the cumulative GSM subscribers already at an estimated 242 million in October, it is clear that the GSM sector would by itself cross the historic 250 million milestone by December 2008.”

Bharti Airtel, the country's largest telecom operator added its highest-ever 2.7 million customers during October, which is a 3.51% growth compared to the month of September. The world’s third largest in-country operator has a market share of 33.23%. It added the largest number of operators in the Rajasthan circle, adding a 350,000 subscribers during the month.

Vodafone Essar, the country's second largest GSM operator with a market share of 23.49% added around 2 million customers in the month registering a growth rate of 3.81%. The company recorded a highest addition of around 266,000 subscribers in Eastern UP circle.

The state-owned BSNL, the country's second largest telecom player with about 670,000 users, during the period registered a growth of 1.71% over the previous month. The telco has a market share of 16.5% in the GSM subscribers. Among the CDMA operators, Reliance Communications, which is the largest operator in the segment, added 1.7 million subscribers.

Fast dialling

• Total number of both wireless and wireline users now stand at 363.95 million
• With this, the overall tele-density stood at 31.50% at the end of October against 30.64% in September
• The total broadband subscriber base rose to 5.05 million by the end of October 2008 from 4.90 million in September.