23.11.12

Of GSM subscribers....


The total number of subscribers using GSM mobile services rose by 2,38,000 in October. The increase in cellphone users comes after two consecutive months of an erosion in subscriber base, the first in many years, for the likes of Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea Cellular. Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), the body representing GSM companies in India, said that Bharti Airtel gained nearly half a million customers last month as opposed to a loss of 2.8 million over August and September this year. The case was same with Vodafone and Idea Cellular. Both telcos lost 2.1 million customers each during the two months before October, but gained over 4,80,000 and around 2,40,000 respectively, in October.
However, Uninor pulled down the total subscriber base for GSM telcos as it reported a fall of 1.1 millon in its subscriber base for the month of October. It had gained a marginal 32,000 customers in September. In August, Bharti, Vodafone and Idea — that together account for about 67% of the sector’s revenues — had jointly lost over 5 million customers, the first time in over a decade that these mobile phone companies had seen a fall in numbers. The country’s mobile user base fell for the first time in July when mobile phone companies jointly reported a fall of 20.7 million subscribers for the month.
However, Reliance Communications was responsible for 99% of the movement as it deactivated around 13% of its customer base.

No comments: