Press Information Bureau

5. In the month of August, 2022, 11.35 million subscribers submitted their requests for Mobile Number Portability (MNP). With this, the cumulative MNP requests increased from 724.79 million at the end of July-22 to 736.14 million at the end of August-22, since implementation of MNP.

5. Number of active wireless subscribers (on the date of peak VLR^#) in August, 2022 was 1013.46 million.

1. Total Telephone Subscribers

• The number of telephone subscribers in India increased from 1,173.66 million at the end of July-22 to 1,175.08 million at the end of August-22, thereby showing a monthly growth rate of 0.12%. Urban telephone subscription increased from 650.40 million at the end of July-22 to 651.07 million at the end of August-22 and the rural subscription also increased from 523.26 million to 524.01 million during the same period. The monthly growth rates of urban and rural telephone subscription were 0.10% and   0.14% respectively during the month of August-22. 
• The overall Tele-density in India increased 85.11% at the end of July-22 to 85.15% at the end of August-22. The Urban Tele-density decreased from 134.78% at the end of July-22 to 134.71% at the end of August-22 however, Rural Tele-density increased from 58.37% to 58.44% during the same period. The share of urban and rural subscribers in total number of telephone subscribers at the end of August-22 was 55.41% and 44.59% respectively.

Overall Tele-density (LSA Wise) – As on 31^st August, 2022

• As may be seen in the above chart, eight LSA have less tele-density than the all-India average tele-density at the end of August-22. Delhi service area has maximum tele-density of 268.58% and the Bihar service area has minimum tele-density of 55.11% at the end of August-22.

2. Category-wise Growth in subscriber base

Circle Category-wise Net Additions in Telephone Subscribers in the month of August 2022

Circle Category-wise monthly and yearly Growth Rates in Telephone Subscribers in the month of August 2022

• As can be seen in the above tables, in wireless segment, on monthly basis except Circle ‘A’ all circles have registered growth rate in their subscriber base. On yearly basis, all circles have registered decline rate in their subscriber base.
• In Wireline segment both on monthly and yearly basis, all circles have registered growth rate in their subscriber base.

3. Wireless subscriber

• Total wireless subscribers increased from 1,148.03 million at the end of July-22, to 1,149.11 million at the end of August-22, thereby registering a monthly growth rate of 0.09%. Wireless subscription in urban areas increased from 626.74 million at the end of July-22 to 627.09 million at the end of August-22 and wireless subscription in rural areas also increased from 521.29 million to 522.02 million during the same period. Monthly growth rates of urban and rural wireless subscription were 0.06% and 0.14% respectively.
• The Wireless Tele-density in India increased from 83.25% at the end of July-22 to 83.27% at the end of August-22. The Urban Wireless Tele-density decreased from 129.88% at the end of Jul-22 to 129.75% at the end of August-22, however Rural Tele-density increased from 58.15% to 58.22% during the same period. The share of urban and rural wireless subscribers in total number of wireless subscribers was    54.57% and 45.43% respectively at the end of Aug-22. Detailed statistics of wireless subscriber base is available at Annexure-I.

•        As on 31^st August, 2022, the private access service providers held 90.17% market share of the wireless subscribers whereas BSNL and MTNL, the two PSU access service providers, had a market share of only 9.83%.

• The graphical representation of access service provider-wise market share and net additions in wireless subscriber base are given below: -

Access Service Provider-wise Market Shares in term of Wireless Subscribers as on 31^st August, 2022

Net Addition in Wireless Subscribers of Access Service Providers in the month of August, 2022

     Growth in Wireless Subscribers

Access Service Provider-wise Monthly Growth Rate of Wireless Subscribers in the month of August, 2022

                  Note: BSNL includes its Virtual Network Operator (VNO).

Service Area-wise Monthly Growth Rate of Wireless Subscribers in the month of August, 2022

• Except Punjab, U.P.(W), Mumbai, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Kolkata and Haryana service areas, all other service areas have showed growth rate in their wireless subscribers during the month of August-22.

4. Active Wireless Subscribers (VLR Data)

• Out of the total 1,149.11 million wireless subscribers, 1013.46 million wireless subscribers were active on the date of peak VLR in the month of August-22. The proportion of active wireless subscribers was approximately 88.19% of the total wireless subscriber base.
• The detailed statistics on proportion of active wireless subscribers (also referred to as VLR subscribers) on the date of peak VLR in the month of        August-22 is available at Annexure-II and the methodology used for reporting VLR subscribers is available at Annexure-IV.

Access Service Provider-wise Percentage of VLR Subscribers

in the month of August, 2022 

• Bharti Airtel has the maximum proportion 98.31% of its active wireless subscribers (VLR) as against its total wireless subscribers (HLR) on the date of peak VLR in the month of August-22 and MTNL has the minimum proportion of VLR 22.98% of its HLR during the same period.

Service Area wise percentage of VLR Subscribers

in the month of August, 2022

VI.       Mobile Number Portability (MNP)

• Intra-service area Mobile number portability (MNP) was implemented first in Haryana service area w.e.f. 25.11.2010 and in the rest of the country w.e.f. 20.01.2011. Inter-Service Area MNP has been implemented in the country w.e.f. 03.07.2015. Now, the wireless telephone subscribers can retain their mobile numbers when they relocate from one service area to another.
• During the month of August-22, a total of 11.35 million requests were received for MNP.  Out of total 11.35 million new requests, 6.79 million requests received from Zone-I and 4.56 million requests received from Zone-II. The cumulative MNP requests increased from 724.79 million at the end of July-22 to 736.14 million at the end of August-22, since the implementation of MNP. 
• In MNP Zone-I (Northern and Western India), the highest number of requests till date have been received in Maharashtra (about 60.66 million) followed by Uttar Pradesh-East (about 59.27 million) service area.
• In MNP Zone-II (Southern and Eastern India), the highest number of requests till date have been received in Karnataka (about 55.71 million) followed by Madhya Pradesh (about 54.59 million).

VII.     Wireline Subscribers

•  Wireline subscribers increased from 25.63 million at the end of July-22 to 25.97 million at the end of August-22. Net increase in the wireline subscriber base was 0.34 million with a monthly growth rate of 1.34%. The share of urban and rural subscribers in total wireline subscribers were 92.35% and 7.65% respectively at the end of August, 2022.
• The Overall Wireline Tele-density in India increased from 1.86% at the end of July-22 to 1.88% at the end of August-22. Urban and Rural Wireline Tele-density were 4.96% and 0.22% respectively during the same period.  

• BSNL and MTNL, the two PSU access service providers, held 37.48% of the wireline market share as on 31^st August, 2022. Detailed statistics of wireline subscriber base are available at Annexure-III.

Access Service Provider-wise Market Share of Wireline Subscribers  as on 31^st August, 2022

Access Service Provider-wise Net Addition/Decline in Wireline Subscribers during the month of August, 2022

VIII.           Broadband Subscriber

• As per the information received from 767 operators in August, 2022 in comparison to 694 Operator in July 2022, the total Broadband Subscribers increased from 807.42 million at the end of July-22 to 813.94 million at the end of August-22 with a monthly growth rate of 0.81%. Segment-wise broadband subscribers and their monthly growth rates are as below

Segment–wise Broadband Subscribers and Monthly Growth Rate in the month of August, 2022

• Top five service providers constituted 98.39% market share of the total broadband subscribers at the end of August-22. These service providers were Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd (425.80 million), Bharti Airtel (223.98 million), Vodafone Idea (123.12 million), BSNL (25.80 million) and Atria Convergence (2.13 million).

• The graphical representation of the service provider-wise market share of broadband services is given below: -

Service Provider-wise Market Share of Broadband

(wired + wireless) Services as on 31^st August, 2022

• As on 31^st August, 2022, the top five Wired Broadband Service providers were Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd (6.56 million), Bharti Airtel (5.13 million), BSNL (3.88 million), Atria Convergence Technologies (2.13 million) and Hathway Cable & Datacom (1.13 million).
• As on 31^st August, 2022, the top five Wireless Broadband Service providers were Reliance Jio Infocom Ltd (419.24 million), Bharti Airtel (218.85 million), Vodafone Idea (123.12 million), BSNL (21.92 million) and Intech Online Pvt. Ltd. (0.23 million).

  Contact details in    case of any clarification:

  Shri Amit Sharma, Advisor (F&EA),

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India                                                                             

Mahanagar Doorsanchar Bhawan                                                                                                                                                                                                

Jawahar Lal Nehru Marg,

New Delhi – 110002,

Ph: 011-23234367 Fax: 011-23235249                                                             

E-mail: advfea2@trai.gov.in                                                                                                                   

Note: Peak VLR figures in some circles of some of the service providers are more than their HLR  figures due to a large number of inroamers.