BSNL Gains Subscribers While Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone Idea Lose in September

According to data from the TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India), in September 2024, private telecom companies Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea collectively lost over 1 crore wireless subscribers. In contrast, the state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) surprised the industry by gaining nearly 8.5 lakh mobile subscribers.

Subscriber Losses for Private Telcos

In September, Reliance Jio lost 79.69 lakh subscribers, Bharti Airtel lost 14.34 lakh subscribers, and Vodafone Idea lost 15.53 lakh subscribers. This marks a significant decline for these private players in the competitive telecom market.

BSNL’s Subscriber Growth

BSNL, on the other hand, added 8.49 lakh users, bringing its total wireless subscribers to 9.18 crore by the end of September. BSNL’s growth is largely attributed to its decision not to follow the price hikes imposed by private telcos and its focus on enhancing customer offerings like spam blockers and direct-to-device services.

Wireless Subscriber Base

At the end of September, Reliance Jio had a subscriber base of 46.37 crore, Bharti Airtel had 38.34 crore subscribers, and Vodafone Idea had 21.24 crore subscribers. In comparison, BSNL’s subscriber count reached 9.18 crore.

Impact of Tariff Hikes

The 3 private telcos raised mobile tariffs by 10-27% in July 2024, but BSNL chose not to increase its prices. BSNL’s Chairman, Robert Ravi, confirmed that the company has no plans for a price hike in the near future, which may have helped it attract more subscribers.

The total number of broadband subscribers in India decreased to 944.4 million at the end of September, down 0.51% from August. The wireless subscriber count also declined to 1,153.72 million, with both urban and rural wireless subscriptions falling by 0.80% and 0.95%, respectively.

Top Broadband Providers

As of September 2024, Jio led the broadband market with 47.7 crore subscribers, followed by Bharti Airtel with 28.5 crore subscribers, and Vodafone Idea with 12.6 crore subscribers. BSNL ranked 4th with 3.7 crore broadband subscribers.

As of November 21, 2024, Bharti Airtel share price has risen by 58.08%, while Vodafone Idea share price has declined by over 49%.  

Disclaimer: This blog has been written exclusively for educational purposes. The securities mentioned are only examples and not recommendations. It is based on several secondary sources on the internet and is subject to changes. Please consult an expert before making related decisions.