In December 2023, the Indian telecom landscape witnessed significant shifts. Airtel and Jio experienced substantial gains in subscribers, contrasting with a decline for Vi, according to data from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
Subscriber Dynamics
During the final month of 2023, Airtel and Jio collectively acquired over 5 million subscribers. Reliance Jio led the surge by adding 3.99 million subscribers, while Airtel gained 1.85 million. In contrast, Vi faced a loss of 1.38 million subscribers, underscoring its challenges in the competitive market.
Market Positioning
With these developments, Reliance Jio solidified its position as the leading telecom operator with a subscriber base of 459.81 million. Airtel followed with 381.73 million subscribers, leaving Vi in a distant third with 223.05 million subscribers. State-owned BSNL also reported a decline of 0.15 million subscribers during this period.
Active Subscriber Base
While Reliance Jio added more subscribers in total, Airtel gained a higher number of active subscribers. Airtel’s active subscriber base increased by 3 million, compared to Jio’s addition of 1.21 million active subscribers. Vi, however, faced a setback, losing 1.81 million active subscribers.
Utilization of Spectrum
Vi’s strategy to enhance its services includes plans to roll out 5G services in India within the next six months pending funding. Additionally, Vi aims to optimize its spectrum usage by phasing out 3G services by FY25, thereby improving its 4G offerings.
Landline Subscriber Growth
In the realm of landline services, Jio added 0.24 million subscribers, reaching a total of 11.05 million users. Airtel followed suit with the addition of 82,317 subscribers, totaling 8.31 million. Vi added 9,656 subscribers to reach 0.69 million, while BSNL experienced a loss of 34,250 subscribers, bringing its tally to 6.14 million subscribers.
Mobile Number Portability (MNP) Trends
In the realm of landline services, Jio added 0.24 million subscribers, reaching a total of 11.05 million users. Airtel followed suit with the addition of 82,317 subscribers, totaling 8.31 million. Vi added 9,656 subscribers to reach 0.69 million, while BSNL experienced a loss of 34,250 subscribers, bringing its tally to 6.14 million subscribers.
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