As per the telecom subscription data released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), India’s total subscriber base decreased from 1,175.27 million at the end of November 2020 to 1,173.83 million at the end of December 2020, registering a monthly decline rate of 0.12 per cent. Further, subscriptions in urban areas decreased from 648.60 million to 647.91 million during the period under consideration. The rural subscription decreased from 526.67 million to 525.92 million during the same period.
The overall teledensity in India decreased from 86.56 at the end of November 2020 to 86.38 at the end of December 2020. The urban teledensity decreased from 138.72 at the end of November 2020 to 138.34 at the end of December 2020. However, rural tele-density decreased from 59.16 to 59.05 during the period.
Moreover, the number of broadband subscribers increased from 742.06 million at the end of November 2020 to 747.41 million at the end of December 2020, witnessing a monthly growth rate of 0.72 per cent.
Among operators, Bharti Airtel registered the maximum increase in wireless subscriber base during December 2020 and added around 4,051,750 subscribers, taking its total subscriber base to 338.7 million. Meanwhile, Vodafone Idea lost 5,690,219 subscribers, and its subscriber base stood at 284.2 million, while Reliance Jio added 478,917 subscribers, taking its total subscriber base to 408.7 million. Meanwhile, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) lost 253,330 subscribers, taking its total subscriber base to 118.6 million.
Consequently, Reliance Jio’s market share by subscribers reached to 35.43 per cent, followed by Bharti Airtel at 29.36 per cent, and Vodafone Idea at 24.64 per cent, as of December 31, 2020.
