New Delhi— India’s total number of telephone subscribers grew to 1,203.84 million in April, up from 1,200.80 million at the end of March, marking a monthly growth rate of 0.25%, according to data released Thursday by the Ministry of Communications.
Urban subscriptions rose slightly from 666.11 million in March to 667.19 million in April, while rural subscriptions increased from 534.69 million to 536.65 million. This translates to monthly growth rates of 0.16% in urban areas and 0.37% in rural regions.
Wireless subscriptions—which include mobile and 5G fixed wireless access (FWA)—also saw an uptick, climbing from 1,163.76 million to 1,166.43 million in April, a growth rate of 0.23%.
Urban wireless subscribers increased from 632.57 million to 633.29 million, while rural wireless users rose from 531.18 million to 533.14 million. The monthly growth in wireless services was 0.11% for urban areas and 0.37% for rural areas.
India’s overall tele-density—the number of telephone connections per 100 people—rose slightly from 85.04% in March to 85.19% in April. Urban tele-density edged up from 131.45% to 131.46%, while rural tele-density grew from 59.06% to 59.26%.
As of April 30, private telecom operators held a dominant 92.08% share of the wireless subscriber base. Public sector units BSNL and MTNL together accounted for the remaining 7.92%.
Bharti Airtel emerged as the market leader in machine-to-machine (M2M) cellular connections, with 37.28 million connections and a 53.35% market share, followed by Vodafone Idea.
Additionally, the month saw 13.48 million subscribers submitting requests for mobile number portability (MNP), indicating continued consumer interest in switching providers for better service or pricing. (Source: IANS)
