According to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), telecom operators? cumulative revenue increased by 10.24 per cent on a year-on-year (y-o-y) basis to Rs 542.84 billion for the quarter ended March 2013.
The adjusted gross revenue, based on which service providers pay licence fee and other charges to the government, registered a growth of 2.39 per cent and stood at Rs 352.79 billion. Further, for the period under review the industry reported gross revenue and adjusted gross revenue (AGR) of Rs 542.83 billion and Rs 352.79 billion respectively. The industry witnessed y-o-y growth of 10.24 per cent and 2.39 per cent in the gross revenue and AGR respectively.
The sector witnessed growth in revenue despite the number of subscribers in the country declining by 5.61 per cent from 0.95 billion in the first quarter of 2012 to 0.89 billion in the corresponding period in 2013. For the period under review, consumers? monthly spend on GSM and CDMA witnessed growth of 7.84 per cent and 26.51 per cent, respectively.
Further, the monthly average revenue per user (ARPU) for GSM service increased to Rs 105 in quarter ended March 2013, with year on year increase of 7.84 per cent. Monthly ARPU for CDMA service increased to Rs 95 in the quarter ended March 2013.
TRAI stated that with an AGR of 80.36 billion, Bharti Airtel was at the top of the pecking order. It was followed by Vodafone and India Cellular in the second and third place with an AGR of Rs 60.15 billion and Rs 42.34 billion respectively. For the period under review, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited and Reliance Communications Limited reported AGR of Rs 29.77 billion and Rs 19.66 billion respectively.
