Mobile users up 4% in August

BSNL adds record 628,000 subscribers in a month

The mobile subscriber base in the country grew over 4 per cent in August from that in the previous month.

The growth in Global System for Mobile (GSM) users was 4.62 per cent, while CDMA-based (Code Division Multiple Access) digital mobile subscribers were up 3 per cent in the same period.

State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) added a record 6,28,000 subscribers in one month, the highest-ever monthly addition by a company since the inception of mobile telephony.

With a marginal gain in market share, BSNL accounted for 21.46 per cent of the cellular market in the country.

Tata Teleservices, the second largest CDMA player in the country, lost 19,770 digital mobile subscribers in August. In comparison, the company had added 9,154 new subscribers in July.

While the company lost 16,976 users in the Delhi circle, it lost 3,237 subscribers in the Chennai circle.

"It is the result of a number of disconnections because of outstanding bills," Naresh Malhan, chief operating officer, Tata Teleservices (Delhi circle), said.

The GSM segment added 1.41 million subscribers during the month, taking the total number of GSM subscribers to 32 million at the end of August 2004.

Despite a marginal fall in market share, Bharti retained its dominance, cornering about 25.88 per cent of the GSM market, followed by followed by Hutch with 23.63 per cent (including Aircel).

Bharti added 2,86,000 subscribers in August, while Hutch and Idea added 1,90,000 and 83,000 subscribers, respectively.

In the CDMA segment, Reliance added 2,67,000 subscribers in August, which took its mobile subscriber base to 7.83 million. In comparison, Bharti had 8.29 million and Hutch had 7.57 million subscribers at the end of August 2004.

Tata Teleservices' wireline subscriber base also dipped in August. Wireless fixed-line was the only segment where Tata Teleservices added more than 100,000 new subscribers.

Shyam Telelink, which offers telephony services in Rajasthan, also saw a decline in its mobile subscriber base during the month, whereas, HFCL Infotel Ltd, the service provider in Punjab, added over 3,000 mobile subscribers.