Telecom subscribers hit 1.18 bn in Feb: Trai

The Indian telecom market is second-largest in the world after China in subscriber base

India’s telecom subscriber base, mobile and landline combined, touched the 1.18-billion mark at the end of February, growing 1.2 per cent over the previous month, according to Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai).

Another 13.8 million mobile users were added during the month. Landline phone demand has been dwindling as cheap mobile handsets, coupled with falling rates and freebies, have led to an explosion in cellphone connectivity.

Over the past few months, operators, including newcomer Reliance Jio and incumbents like Bharti Airtel and Vodafone, have been doling out attractive offers and unleashing high- decibel marketing campaigns to woo customers.

Urban