Mobile phone subscriber base reached 817 million in February 2017

NEW DELHI: Continuing its upward trend, the Indian telecom industry marked another month of growth by adding 2.27 million mobile subscribers in the mobile telephony market in February 2017.

In the data released by Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), the association of mobile operators in the country, the number of mobile phone subscribers showed an increase of 817.42 million in February 2017.

The net increase in subscriber base is 2.27 million in the month of February (This information includes data of all COAI members except Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited).

Amongst the telecom companies, Bharti Airtel continues to hold the top position in February, adding another 1.25 million subscribers during the month to take its total subscriber base to 270.65 million subscribers. Airtel is closely followed by Vodafone with 207.23 million subscribers and Idea Cellular with 193.27 million subscribers. With 33.11% Bharti Airtel continues to own the maximum market share in the industry.

The report, which also assesses the growth of mobile subscribers across various circles in India, said UP East added the maximum number of subscribers (74.61 million) in February. Maharashtra came second with 70.32 million mobile subscribers, with Bihar coming a close third with 69.31 million subscribers. On the other hand, Punjab leads in the number of new additions with 0.58 million new subscribers in the month.

Talking about the growth in the subscriber base, Rajan S Mathews, Director General, COAI, said, “The telecommunication industry has again posted a good growth for the month of February 2017. The growth in the subscriptions indicates that consumer base is expanding and reaching new horizons in the country. We are an enabler of comprehensive growth. The industry has also ensured that government’s plans reach even the farthest corners of the country and everyone is equally benefitted.

He added “Our aim is to connect every corner of the country. It is heartening to see more cities mounting a sizeable mobile customer base, thereby inspiring us to develop mobile infrastructure in these regions. Connecting citizens translate into empowering citizens, as the mobile is a great enabler of new opportunities. We strive towards this enabled society where every individual gets the chance to partake in the economic growth of the country”.