In spite of the Inflationary pressure prevailing in the Indian Economy, GSM Wireless Operators continue to add record users though the m-o-m growth has tapered now, at least in case of Bharti Airtel.
As usual, Reliance Communications numbers are not yet available and assuming the same number of adds as in previous month, GSM Operators now have ~226 mn mobile subscribers 🙂 55% of the net additions came from Category – B and Category – C circles. [No iPhone effect in the metros yet 😉 ]
Bharti Airtel added 2.7m subscribers taking the total tally to 74.77m. Vodafone added 1.8m and is the second largest GSM operator with 52.75m subscribers. Vodafone also launched its service in Orissa last month. Idea Cellular operational in just 12/22 circles managed to add close to 1m subscribers taking its total tally to 29.27m BSNL with abundant spectrum and network is unable to add more subscribers and could manage to get just 0.5m taking its total subscribers to 38.49m
I am making some calculated guess on how the top 5 GSM operators will add subscribers over the next 6 months.
- Bharti Airtel is likely to add 16m subscribers and end FY09 with around 90m subscribers.
- Vodafone to add another 12mn and close FY09 with 64m subs
- Idea Cellular is likely to add around 8m subs and close the year with 37m subs
- BSNL will likely accelerate its growth and add around 6m subs over the next 6 months takings its tally to 44m
- Reliance GSM operations may get kicked off in late December coinciding with Dhirubhai’s birth anniversary and may end the FY with 14m subscribers