As per the telecom subscription data released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), India’s total subscriber base increased from 1,173.83 million at the end of December 2020 to 1,183.49 million at the end of January 2021, registering a monthly growth rate of 0.82 per cent. Further, subscriptions in urban areas increased from 647.91 million at the end of December 2020 to 653.29 million during the period under consideration. The rural subscription increased from 525.92 million to 530.19 million.
The overall teledensity in India increased from 86.38 at the end of December 2020 to 87.01 at the end of January 2021. The urban teledensity increased from 138.34 at the end of December 2020 to 139.25 at the end of January 2021. Rural teledensity increased from 59.05 to 59.50 during the same period.
Moreover, the number of broadband subscribers increased from 747.41 million at the end of December 2020 to 757.61 million at the end of January 2021, witnessing a monthly growth rate of 1.36 per cent.
Among operators, Bharti Airtel registered the maximum increase in wireless subscriber base during January 2021 and added around 5,892,855 subscribers, taking its total subscriber base to 344.6 million. Meanwhile, Vodafone Idea gained 1,710,563 subscribers, and its subscriber base stood at 285.9 million, while Reliance Jio added 1,956,812 subscribers, taking its total subscriber base to 410.7 million. Meanwhile, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) added 81,659 subscribers, taking its total subscriber base to 118.7 million.
Consequently, Reliance Jio’s market share by subscribers reached to 35.30 per cent, followed by Bharti Airtel at 29.62 per cent, and Vodafone Idea at 24.58 per cent, as of January 31, 2021.
