As per the telecom subscription data released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), India’s total subscriber base decreased from 1,169.44 million at the end of April 2020 to 1,163.67 million at the end of May 2020, registering a monthly decline rate of 0.49 per cent. Further, subscriptions in urban areas decreased from 647.19 million to 637.85 million during the period under consideration. However, the rural subscription increased from 522.24 million to 525.82 million during the same period.
The overall teledensity in India decreased from to 86.66 at the end of April 2020 to 86.15 at the end of May 2020. The urban teledensity declined from 140.06 at the end of April 2020 to 137.81 at the end of May 2020. Meanwhile, the rural teledensity increased from 58.85 to 59.23 during the period.
Moreover, the number of broadband subscribers increased from 676.14 million at the end of April 2020 to 683.77 million at the end of May 2020, witnessing a monthly growth rate of 1.13 per cent.
Among operators, Reliance Jio registered the maximum increase in wireless subscriber base during May 2020 and added around 3.66 million subscribers, taking its total subscriber base to 392.74 million. Meanwhile, Vodafone Idea lost 4.72 million subscribers, and its subscriber base stood at 309.92 million while Bharti Airtel lost 4.74million subscribers and had a total wireless subscriber base of 317.8 million during May 2020. Meanwhile, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) added 201,537 subscribers, taking its total subscriber base to 119.96 million.
Consequently, Reliance Jio’s market share by subscribers reached to 34.33 per cent, followed by Bharti Airtel at 27.78 per cent, and Vodafone Idea at 27.09 per cent, as of May 31, 2020.
