[orc]The number of mobile subscribers in the country crossed the 100 crore mark in late 2015. 57.27% of all the mobile subscribers are urban while the rest are rural. The overall tele-density stood at 82.3. The urban tele-density was three times the rural tele-density.
The latest telecom subscription data released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) puts the number of wireless telephone (mobile) subscribers at 101.79 crore as on 31st January, 2016. The number of wireline subscribers was at 2.53 crore. The number of mobile subscribers crossed the 100 crore mark towards the end of 2015.
57.2% of the mobile subscribers are Urban
As per the latest data, 57.27% of the mobile subscribers are urban while the rest of the 42.73% are rural. This breakup is very different in the wireline subscribers. 82.56% of the wireline subscribers are urban while only 17.44% are rural.
Urban Tele-density more than 3 times the rural Tele-density
Tele-density is number of telephone connections for every hundred individuals. The overall tele-density in the country stood at 82.3. The tele-density of mobile connections in the urban areas is 147.72 while it stands at 49.83 for rural areas. The urban tele-density in wireline connections is 10 times the rural tele-density. Overall, the urban tele-density is 153.02 which is three times the rural tele-density of 50.33
Highest Tele-density in Delhi & Lowest in Bihar
Within the bigger states, Delhi has the highest tele-density at 240.64 while Bihar has the lowest tele-density at 52.66. The tele-density of Bihar, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, North East, West Bengal and Jammu & Kashmir is less than the national average of 82.3. On the other hand, the tele-density of Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Karnataka, Kerala, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan is more than the national average.
Private Service providers command a market share of 91.45% in Mobile subscriptions
As on 31st January, 2016, the private service providers commanded a market share of 91.45% in the mobile subscriber base whereas the public service undertakings of BSNL and MTNL had a market share of only 8.55%. Of all the players, Bharti Airtel commanded the highest market share of 24.15% followed by Vodafone with 19.13% market share. Idea was third with a market share of 17.01%, followed by Reliance with a market share of 9.94%. Aircel was fifth with a market share of 8.45% while the government owned BSNL was sixth with a market share of only 8.2%.
Broadband subscribers at 14 Crore
TRAI defines broadband as a speed of more than 512 kbps. The number of wired broadband subscribers was 1.663 crore while the ones who use broadband with phones & dongles was 12.29 crore. The top five service providers command a market share of 83.25% in broadband. The state owned BSNL has a better market share in broadband subscribers (about 14.3%).
Featured Image: By Neil Palmer (CIAT)
