Reliance Jio adds 2.19 mn mobile customers, Airtel gains 1.25 mn

Reliance Jio added 2.19 million new mobile customers, bringing their total to 474.6 million in May 2024. Bharti Airtel, on the other hand, saw an increase of 1.25 million new mobile subscribers during the same period bringing their total to 387.7 million, according to the data revealed by TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India). In contrast, Vodafone Idea experienced a decline, losing 0.924 million wireless users, reducing their total to 218.1 million. In May 2024, Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel collectively expanded their wireless subscriber base by 3.44 million users.

Additionally, May 2024 witnessed 12 million Mobile Number Portability (MNP) requests, boosting the cumulative MNP requests from 973.6 million to 985.6 million since its inception. The number of active wireless subscribers reached 1.059 billion in May 2024.

"Intra-service area Mobile number portability (MNP) was implemented first in Haryana service area w.e.f. 25.11.2010 and in the rest of the country w.e.f. 20.01.2011. Inter-Service Area MNP has been implemented in the country w.e.f. 03.07.2015,” the telecom regulatory states.

The broadband subscriber base increased from 928.41 million at the end of April 2024 to 935.13 million in May 2024, with a monthly growth rate of 0.72%. Total wireless subscribers rose slightly from 1.16696 billion in April to 1.16895 billion in May 2024, marking a growth rate of 0.17%. Urban wireless subscriptions grew marginally from 633.53 million in April to 634.10 million in May 2024, while wireless subscriptions in rural areas increased from 533.42 million to 534.85 million during the same period.

Private access service providers dominated with a 92.44% market share of wireless subscribers as of May 31, 2024, while BSNL and MTNL held a combined market share of 7.56%.

India's telephone subscriber base grew from 1.201220 billion at the end of April-24 to 1.203690 billion at the end of May-24, reflecting a monthly increase of 0.21%.

"Urban telephone subscriptions increased from 664.89 million at the end of April-24 to 665.89 million at the end of May-24 and the rural subscription also increased from 536.33 million to 537.80 million during the same period,” TRAI adds.

In May-24, phone subscriptions in India's urban areas saw a monthly growth of 0.15%, while rural areas witnessed a slightly higher growth of 0.28%.