Date:11/10/2005 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/10/11/stories/2005101102160400.htm

Back Telecom subscriber base expands 2.9 m in September

Our Bureau

New Delhi , Oct 10

INDIA added about 2.9 million telecom subscribers in September 2005, compared to 3.01 million additions in the previous month, according to Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

"In the month of September 2005, 2.9 million subscribers were added as against 3.01 million subscribers in August 2005. The average additions for the first half of the current financial year reached 2.46 million per month as against 1.83 million per month during first half of previous year," a statement by TRAI said.

The mobile segment added over 2.48 million subscribers in September as against 2.74 million in August 2005. "During the first half of the current financial year approximately 14.75 million mobile subscribers have been added, making it a total of 65.05 million subscribers at the end of September 2005. During the second quarter of current financial year, 7.67 million mobile subscribers were added in comparison to 5.16 million added during the first quarter," it said.

In the fixed line segment, 0.39 million subscribers were added during September 2005, as compared to 0.27 million in August 2005. With this, the total subscriber base of fixed lines has reached 47.44 million.

The additions of fixed lines subscribers during the first half of the current financial year was 1.92 million. According to data by Association of United Telecom Service Providers of India, the maximum number of subscribers was added by Tata Teleservices, which notched up 4.7 lakh subscribers as against Reliance, which added 4.01 lakh subscribers.

Bharti added a total of 45,224 subscribers in September.