BSNL Faces Subscriber Loss After Four Months, Jio Records Growth

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), which witnessed a surge in mobile users after private telecom operators increased tariffs in July 2023, has now started losing subscribers, according to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai). The company lost 344,473 mobile users in November after gaining subscribers consistently for four months.

BSNL’s Subscriber Gains and Recent Decline

From July to October 2023, BSNL added close to 7 million mobile users, benefitting from its lower tariff rates. However, the trend reversed in November, with analysts attributing the decline to weak service quality and the lack of pan-India 4G services. As of the end of November, BSNL’s subscriber base stood at 92.05 million.

Reliance Jio Records Subscriber Growth After Decline

Reliance Jio, the market leader, gained 1.2 million mobile users in November, reversing its four-month trend of subscriber losses. The growth was largely driven by Jio’s competitive tariffs and improvements following SIM card consolidation. By the end of November, Jio’s subscriber base had risen to 461.2 million, holding a market share of 40.15%.

Airtel and Vodafone Idea Continue Losing Subscribers

Bharti Airtel saw its subscriber base shrink by 1.14 million in November, bringing its total to 384.3 million, with a market share of 33.45%. Similarly, Vodafone Idea continued its subscriber loss trend, shedding 1.5 million users during the same month. Its subscriber base now stands at 208.9 million, with a market share of 18.19%.

Overall Mobile Subscriber Base Declines

India’s overall mobile subscriber base fell by 1.76 million in November, standing at 1.148 billion. Active subscribers accounted for 92.3% of the total wireless subscriber base. The active subscriber base saw a decline of 6 million, reaching 1.06 billion by the end of November.

Insights Into Active Subscriber Base Across Operators

Among operators, Airtel’s active user base fell by 3 million to 380 million, while Jio’s active base declined by 1.12 million to 447 million. Vodafone Idea’s active user base dropped by 1.9 million to 176.9 million in November.

Fixed Wireless Subscribers Experience Growth

Fixed wireless subscribers witnessed an impressive growth of 574% in November, reaching 5.16 million. According to Trai, this significant growth was due to a reporting shift of fixed wireless access (5G) subscriptions from the wireline segment to the wireless segment.

Conclusion

While BSNL faces challenges in maintaining its subscriber base, Reliance Jio has regained its growth trajectory, solidifying its leadership in the Indian telecom market. The decline in overall mobile subscriptions and the ongoing shift in reporting trends for fixed wireless subscribers highlight the dynamic nature of India’s telecom sector.