According to data from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) started losing subscribers in November, after experiencing four months of consecutive growth. The telecom operator lost 344,473 mobile users during the month, bringing its total subscriber base to 92.05 million. This followed a period of gains due to tariff hikes by private telecom operators in July.
BSNL Faces Subscriber Loss, While Jio Gains and Airtel, Vodafone Idea Struggle
Between July and October, BSNL benefited from its low tariffs, adding nearly 7 million mobile users. However, the subscriber loss in November can be attributed to weak service quality and the absence of nationwide 4G coverage.
In November, market leader Reliance Jio reversed its recent trend of subscriber losses, adding 1.2 million users due to tariff hikes and SIM card consolidation. This brought Jio’s total subscriber base to 461.2 million. In contrast, Bharti Airtel lost 1.14 million users, lowering its base to 384.3 million. Vodafone Idea continued to experience subscriber losses, shedding 1.5 million users, which reduced its base to 208.9 million.
India’s Mobile Subscriber Base Declines in November, Jio Maintains Market Lead
In November, India’s overall mobile subscriber base fell by 1.76 million, reaching 1.148 billion. Jio maintained the largest market share at 40.15%, followed by Airtel at 33.45%, Vodafone Idea at 18.19%, and BSNL with 8.03%.
The active subscriber base, representing 92.3% of all wireless subscribers, also saw a decline, dropping by 6 million to 1.06 billion. Airtel’s active subscribers decreased by 3 million to 380 million, while Jio’s active base fell by 1.12 million to 447 million. Vodafone Idea experienced a loss of 1.9 million active users, reducing its base to 176.9 million.
Fixed Wireless Subscribers Surge by 574% in November Due to Reporting Shift
Fixed wireless subscribers saw a significant growth of 574% in November, reaching 5.16 million. This surge was partly driven by the shift in reporting of fixed wireless access subscriptions from the wireline segment to the wireless segment.
