12.29 mn new GSM subscribers added in June: COAI

Indian GSM telecom operators added 12.29 million new subscribers in the month of June, taking the all-India GSM cellular subscriber base to 456.58 million, according to cellular operators' association COAI.

Bharti Airtel, the number one GSM operator, added three million new users in June, taking its total subscriber base to 136.6 million, data released by the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) showed today.

Bharti is the leader with a 29.92 per cent market share.

Rival Vodafone Essar added 2.71 million subscribers during the month, taking its subscriber base to 109 million, it said. It had a market share of 23.89 per cent by the end of June 2010.

Idea Cellular added 2.15 million users in June, taking its total user base to 68.88 million, while Aircel -- in which Malaysia's Maxis owns a majority stake -- added 1.6 million customers to reach 41.67 million subscribers.

State-run telecom firms BSNL and MTNL added 1.09 million and 44,413 new users respectively, taking their subscriber base to 66.88 million (BSNL) and 4.90 million (MTNL).