Idea, Airtel add over 1 crore mobile subscribers; Voda lost 6.6 lakh in Apr: COAI

Telecom operators Bharti Airtel and Idea Cellular jointly added over one crore mobile subscribers while Vodafone lost over 6.64 lakh customers in April 2018, according to data released by the COAI today.

"Idea Cellular had the maximum number of subscriber additions, adding 5.55 million to bring its total subscribers to 216.76 million," the Cellular Association of India said in a statement.

As per the data released by the industry body, India's private telecom service providers have a total of 1.049 billion mobile subscribers, including subscriber figures of Aircel, RJio, MTNL and Telenor as of March 2018.

"The growth seen in mobile subscribers this month is encouraging, and the industry is working daily to ensure that connectivity reaches the farthest corners of the country," COAI Director General Rajan S Mathews said.

As the Draft National Digital Communications Policy 2018 proposes extending exemptions for the construction of telecom towers and provide accelerated rights of way permissions for telecom tower, the telecom connectivity will soon reach to the last person of the country, he added.

"Bharti Airtel continues to hold the top position, with total mobile subscribers reaching 308.6 million, adding another 4.5 million subscribers during April 2018. Airtel is followed by Vodafone India Ltd, which ended at 222.03 million subscribers," the statement said.

Vodafone lost a total of 6.64 lakh customers in April across 12 out of 22 telecom circles in the country. The company lost highest number of subscribers in Madhya Pradesh (2.42 lakh), followed by Maharashtra, Punjab, Bihar, UP West and others.