Telephone Users in India nearing 100 crores while internet users stand at 1/4th of population: Trai Report Indicator

Telephone Users in India nearing 100 crores while internet users

stand at 1/4^th of population: Trai Report Indicator

New Delhi:12^th Aug 15: TRAI today released the “Indian Telecom Services Performance IndicatorReport” for the Quarter ending March, 2015. This Report provides a broad perspective of the Telecom Services and presents the key parameters and growth trends for the Telecom Services as well as Cable TV, DTH & Radio Broadcasting services in India for the period covering 1^st January to 31March, 2015 and is compiled on the basis of information furnished by the Service Providers.

The number of telephone subscribers in India increased from 970.97 million at the end of Dec-14 to 996.49 million at the end of Mar-15, registering a growth of 2.63% over the previous quarter. This reflects year-on-year (Y-O-Y) growth of 6.80% over the same quarter of last year. The overall Tele-density in India increased from 77.58 as on 31^st December, 2014 to 79.38 as on 31^st March, 2015.Subscription in Urban Areas increased from 572.29 million at the end of Dec-14 to 577.18 million at the end of Mar-15, and Urban Tele-density increased from 148.06 to 148.61. Rural subscription increased from 398.68 million to 419.31 million, and Rural Tele-density also increased from 46.09 to 48.37 during the same period.Out of the total subscription, the share of the Rural areas increased from 41.06% at the end of Dec-14 to 42.08% at the end of Mar-15.

With a net addition of 25.92 million subscribers during the quarter, total wireless (GSM+CDMA) subscriber base increased from 943.97 million at the end of Dec-14 to 969.89 million at the end of Mar-15, registering a growth rate of 2.75% over the previous quarter. The year-on-year (Y-O-Y) growth rate of wireless subscribers for Mar-15 is 7.23%.Wireless Tele-density increased from 75.43 at the end of Dec-14 to 77.27 at the end of Mar-15.

Wireline subscriber base further declined from 27.00 million at the end of Dec-14 to 26.59 million at the end of Mar-15, registering a decline of 1.50%. The year-on-year (Y-O-Y) decline in wireline subscribers for Mar-15 is 6.68%. Wireline Tele-density declined from 2.16 at the end of Dec-14 to 2.12 at the end of Mar-15. 

Total number of Internet subscribers has increased from 267.39 million at the end of Dec-14 to 302.35 million at the end of Mar-15, registering a quarterly growth rate of 13.08%. Out of 302.35 million, Wired Internet subscribers are 19.07 million and Wireless Internet subscribers are 283.29 million.Number of Broadband Internet subscribers increased from 85.74 million at the end of Dec-14 to 99.20 million at the end of Mar-15 showing quarterly growth rate of 15.71%. The number of Narrowband Internet subscribers increased from 181.65 million at the end of Dec-14 to 203.15 million at the end of Mar-15 with quarterly growth rate of 11.83%. Monthly Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) for GSM service increased by 1.65%, from `118 in QE Dec-14 to `120 in QE Mar-15, whereas Y-O-Y increased by 6.14%. Prepaid ARPU for GSM service per month increased from `103 in QE Dec-14 to `105 in QE Mar-15, and Postpaid ARPU per month increased from `466 in QE Dec-14 to `467 in QE Mar-15. On an all India average, the overall MOU per subscriber per month for GSM service increased by 1.65% from 376 for QE Dec-14 to 383 in QE Mar-15. Prepaid MOU per subscriber for GSM service increased from 352 in QE Dec-14 to 358 in QE Dec-14, whereas postpaid MOUs decreased from 933 in QE Dec-14 to 923 in QE Mar-15. Monthly ARPU for CDMA full mobility service decreased by 0.37%, from `109 in QE Dec-14 to `108 in QE Mar-15. However, ARPU for CDMA full mobility service increased by 3.07% on Y-O-Y basis in this quarter.

The total MOU for CDMA per subscriber per month increased by 1.21%, from 262 in QE Dec-14 to 265 QE Mar-15. The outgoing MOUs increased from 139 in QE Dec-14 to 144 in QE Mar-15, whereas incoming MOUs decreased from 123 in QE Dec-14 to 121 in QE Mar-15. Gross Revenue (GR) and Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) of Telecom Service Sector for the QE Mar-15 has been `65227 Crore and `45158 Crore respectively. GR and AGR increased by 1.99% and 3.60% respectively in this quarter as compared to previous quarter. The year-on-year (Y-O-Y) growth in GR and AGR over the same quarter in last year has been 7.43% and 10.10% respectively. Pass-through charges accounted for 30.77% of the GR for the quarter ending Mar-15. The quarterly and the year-on-year (Y-O-Y) growth rates of pass-through charges for QE Mar-15 are -1.45% and 1.87% respectively.The License Fee increased from Rs.3489 Crore for the QE Dec-14 to Rs.3617 Crore for the QE Mar-15. The quarterly and the year-on-year (Y-O-Y) growth rates of license fee are 3.67% and 10.09% respectively in this quarter. Access services contributed 79.58% of the total Adjusted Gross Revenue of telecom services. In Access services, Gross Revenue (GR), Adjusted Gross Revenue(AGR), License Fee and Spectrum Usage Charges(SUC) increased by 1.97%, 4.04%, 4.06% and 0.85% respectively and Pass Through Charges declined by 3.21% in QE Mar-15. Monthly Average Revenue per User (ARPU) for Access Services based on AGR increased from `119.48 in QE Dec-14 to `121.81 in QE Mar-15.

A total of 829 private satellite TV channels have been permitted by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) for uplinking only/downlinking/uplinking, as on 31.03.2015. There were a total of 245 Pay channels as reported by the broadcasters as on 31.01.2015. During the quarter ending March 2015, six new pay channels i.e (i) & TV, (ii) & TV HD, (iii) Star Sports HD 3 (iv) Star Sports HD 4 (v) Asianet Movie & (vi) Suvarna Plus, were launched by the broadcasters / its distributors. Now, there are 251 pay TV channels at the end of Mar-15. In areas served by non-addresable systems, the maximum number of TV channels carried in digital form, as reported by a cable operator (M/s Hathway Cable & Datacom Limited), amongst those who have reported, is 393. The maximum number of TV channels carried in analog form, as reported by a cable operator (M/s Ortel Communications Ltd), amongst those who have reported, is 100. The digitization, with addressability of cable TV sector is in progress, in a phased manner. It is planned to be completed in four phases. The cut-off date for migration to “Digital Addressable Cable TV Systems” for the first phase, covering four metropolitan cities, was 31.10.2012 and for second phase, covering 38 cities having population more than 1 million, was 30.03.2013. The cut-off date for third phase was 30.09.2014 and for the fourth and final phase was 31.12.2014. However, the cut-off date for third phase & fourth phase was further extended up to 31.12.2015 & 31.12.2016 respectively. As on 31.03.2015, there are a total of 155 Multi System Operators (MSOs), who have been granted Permanent Registration (for 10 years) by Ministry of I&B, for providing Cable TV services through Digital Addressable Systems. Apart from the Radio Stations operated by All India Radio, Prasar Bharati – a public broadcaster, there are 243 operational private FM ,Radio stations as on 31^st March, 2015. The information therein is as received from MIB. At present, apart from the free DTH service of Doordarshan Prasar Bharati, a public broadcaster, 6 private DTH Operators are offering pay DTH services to the subscribers. As per the information submitted by the DTH operator through quarterly PMR for DTH services, total number of registered subscribers and active subscribers being served by these six private DTH operators, as reported to TRAI, are 76.05 million & 41.15, million respectively as on 31st March 2015.

As per data received from MIB, as on 31^st March, 2015, out of the 208 community radio licenses issued so far, 180 stations are operational.

                                                          Snapshot

(Data As on 31^st March, 2015)

Telecom Subscribers (Wireless +Wireline)

Total Subscribers	996.49	Million
% change over the previous quarter		2.63%
Urban Subscribers	577.18	Million
Rural Subscribers	419.31	Million
Market share of Private Operators	89.89%
Market share of PSU Operators	10.11%
Teledensity		79.38
Urban Teledensity		148.61
Rural Teledensity		48.37
Wireless Subscribers
Total Wireless Subscribers	969.89	Million
% change over the previous quarter		2.75%
Urban Subscribers	555.71	Million
Rural Subscribers	414.18	Million
GSM Subscribers	917.73	Million
CDMA Subscribers	52.16	Million
Market share of Private Operators	91.68%
Market share of PSU Operators		8.32%
Tele-density		77.27
Urban Tele-density		143.08
Rural Tele-density		47.78
Wireline Subscribers
Total Wireline Subscribers	26.59	Million
% change over the previous quarter		-1.50%
Urban Subscribers	21.47	Million
Rural Subscribers	5.12	Million
Market share of Private Operators	24.93%
Market share of PSU Operators	75.07%
Tele-density		2.12
Urban Tele-density		5.53
Rural Tele-density		0.59
No. of Village Public Telephones (VPT)	5,85,981
No. of Public Call Office (PCO)	7,36,855

Internet/Broadband Subscribers

		Total Internet Subscribers	302.35	Million
		Narrowband subscribers	203.15	Million
		Broadband subscribers	99.20	Million
		Wired Internet Subscribers	19.07	Million
		Wireless Internet Subscribers	283.29	Million
		Urban Internet Subscribers	190.60	Million
		Rural Internet Subscribers	111.76	Million
		Total Internet Subscribers per 100 population		24.09
		Urban Internet Subscribers per 100 population		49.07
		Rural Internet Subscribers per 100 population		12.89
		Broadcasting & Cable Services
		No. of private satellite TV channels registered with Ministry		829
		of I&B
		Number of private FM Radio Stations		243
		Registered DTH Subscribers	76.05	Million
		Active DTH Subscribers	41.15	Million
		Telecom Financial Data (QE Mar-15)
		Gross Revenue(GR) during the quarter	` 65227 Crore
		% change in GR over the previous quarter		1.99%
		Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) during the quarter	` 45158 Crore
		% change in AGR over the previous quarter		3.60%
		Share of Public sector undertaking's in Access AGR	10.88%
		Monthly Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) for Access Services		` 122
		Revenue & Usage Parameters (QE Mar-15)
		Monthly ARPU GSM Full Mobility Service		` 120
		Monthly ARPU CDMA Full Mobility Service		` 108
		Minutes of Usage (MOU) per subscriber per month GSM Full	383 Minutes
		Mobility Service
		Minutes of Usage (MOU) per subscriber per month CDMA Full	265 Minutes
		Mobility Service
		Total Outgoing Minutes of Usage for Internet Telephony	245	Million
		Data Usage of Mobile Users (for the QE Mar-15)
		Data Usage per subscriber per month - GSM	89.06 MB
		Data Usage per subscriber per month - CDMA	278.22 MB
		Data Usage per subscriber per month – Total(GSM+CDMA)	99.46 MB