Telecom subscriber growth slows down in Mar; Apr numbers likely to be muted

The subscriber addition tally for mobile operators is estimated to have tanked to 0.5 million in March against a monthly average of 1.5-3 million on account of coronavirus-led lockdowns, according to industry experts.

Sector observers said the situation is likely to continue this month as all-India lockdown is scheduled to be in place till April 14.

Many states had already started imposing movement restrictions for general public to combat the spread of coronavirus by mid-March. The 21-day nationwide lockdown was announced on March 24.

Experts said the lockdowns and curbs pulled down the fresh SIM connections for the month.

Accordingly, the industry has recorded