Telecom user base swells to 189.92 mn in Q3

Boom time for the communications continued non-stop with India adding 20.08 million wireless subscribers in the quarter ended December 2006, taking the gross telecom subscriber base to 189.92 million.

Ironically the growth has also brought in less average revenues for the operators with tariffs touching low levels.

The all India blended ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) per month for GSM services has declined by 6.2 per cent from Rs 337 in the previous quarter to Rs 316 in the December quarter.

The wireless market grew at 15.5 per cent in the quarter ending December 2006 by adding 20.08 million subscribers.

The gross subscriber base of the wire-line and wireless services together reached 189.92 million in the quarter ending December, 2006 from 170.02 million as on September 2006, showing an increase of 11.70 per cent, said the TRAI's quarterly performance indicator.

Internet subscribers base reached 85.47 lakhs in the quarter by registering a growth of 5.9 per cent and broadband subscriber base reached 20.19 lakhs in the quarter by registering a growth of 11.12 per cent.