DBT Bureau
Bengaluru, 24 November 2024
India’s mobile broadband userbase witnessed a sharp fall in September, making it the first in two years since the launch of 5G services in October 2022.
Recent tariff hikes by Reliance Jio led to heavy user losses triggered such fall in mobile broadband userbase.
According to data collated by TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India), the country’s 4G-cum-5G services’ users plunged by a record 5.6 million in September, 2024. This was driven by Reliance Jio’s loss of 8 million users as the company raised tariffs of its various plans. Meanwhile, Airtel and Vodafone added 0.4 million users during the month.
State-run BSNL, which didn’t raise prices, added 1.5 million users, making it the biggest gainer among the telecom service providers.
In July, three telecom service providers- Jio, Airtel & Vodafone- raised tariffs of their various plans by 15%-25%.
Within all carriers, Jio holds 51% market share, while Airtel has a market share of 31%. Vodafone (Vi) holds a market share of 14% and BSNL has a share of 4% in India.