Vodafone Essar (earlier Hutch Essar) has moved up to the No 2 rank in the global systems for mobile communications (GSM) category, according to the latest subscriber numbers.
So far, it was the third-largest GSM operator, after Bharti Airtel and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL). Vodafone officials did not want to comment on the development.
While the subscriber figures for May show that Vodafone Essar is 1.3 million customers ahead of BSNL, the indication had come last month itself, with Vodafone moving extremely close to BSNL’s April numbers. But till last month, BSNL was still the No 2 GSM operator.
The world’s largest mobile operator, UK-based Vodafone, acquired a controlling stake in Hutch Essar earlier this year for $10.8 billion. Following the big buy, Vodafone chief executive Arun Sarin has maintained that Vodafone is aiming for the top slot in India. Meanwhile, the leader in mobile telephony in India, Bharti Airtel, is determined to give Vodafone a strong fight.
Of the 130.6 million GSM subscribers, as at end-May 2007, Bharti holds a 31.2% marketshare, with 40.7 million users. The figures, issued by Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), representing the GSM players, do not contain Reliance Telecom numbers for May. Also, the subscriber figures for code division multiple access (CDMA) players are yet to be announced.
However, leading CDMA player Reliance Communications on Thursday announced that it added 1.4 million users in the whole of May. Owing to the disconnection of over 4 million Reliance subscribers, its user base had dipped recently, though most of the lost customers are likely to come back. As at end-April, the Reliance wireless base was around 25.4 million, according to Association of Unified Telecom Service Providers of India (AUSPI).
In May, while Bharti has grown 4.76%, up from 38.8 million in April, Vodafone subscribers have grown 5.44% up from 27.7 million in April. BSNL has grown just 0.86%, up from April’s 27.75 million. The No 4 GSM player, Idea, has grown 4.83%, from April’s 14.5 million.
Interestingly, COAI director-general TV Ramachandran said recently that the monthly growth in subscriber numbers could touch 10 million by December.
According to him, the growth is being driven primarily by aggressive network expansions and decreasing tariffs and increasing affordability. The government’s target is to have 250 million phone users by the end of 2007, and 500 million by 2010.
As at end-April 2007, there were 212.02 million total phone subscribers in India, of which 171.2 million were wireless users.
SOURCE : DNA INDIA
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