Monthly prepaid ARPU crosses Rs 150 for the first time in Q4 FY24

The monthly average revenue per user (ARPU) earned by Indian telecom operators for prepaid services crossed the Rs 150 mark for the first time in the fourth quarter of financial year 2024 (Q4FY24), latest data from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) shows.

It reached Rs 150.7, up from Rs 149.5 in Q3.

Monthly prepaid ARPUs have consistently risen for more than six quarters, but the pace has been slow.

However, monthly postpaid ARPUs reduced to Rs 187.85, after suddenly rising in the preceding quarter.

The faltering pace of rise in ARPUs in the premium category has worried telecom operators, who are increasingly trying to convert subscribers into postpaid users. While no official figures are available, postpaid users are expected to make up 12 per cent of India’s mobile subscriber base at FY24-end, according to a report released by Crisil last year.

Overall, monthly ARPU for wireless services rose by a slower 0.64 per cent over the quarter, to reach Rs 153.5 at Q4-end. The pace of sequential rise has slowed over the past 3-quarters now. The segment had seen ARPUs rising by 1.93 per cent and 2.76 per cent in the previous two quarters.

The impact of the latest tariff hike by telcos should be visible only from Q3FY25 onwards, analysts have said.


Prepaid ARPU crossed Rs 150, postpaid shrank in Q4 FY24

	Q4FY23	Q1FY24	Q2FY24	Q3FY24	Q4FY24
Overall wireless APRU	143.3	145.6	149.6	152.5	153.5
Prepaid	139.6	143.8	148	149.6	150.7
Postpaid	173.5	166.2	167.9	189.1	187.8

All figures are in Rs
Source: TRAI