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<ul><li>Telecom operators have reported an increase in ARPU after the recent tariff hike.</li><li>At the same time, the telcos have also lost subscribers in the quarter.</li><li>Airtel has recorded the highest ARPU at ₹233 per month, followed by Jio with an ARPU of ₹195.</li></ul>India’s leading telecom operators Reliance Jio, Airtel and Vi have lost subscribers in this quarter while recording a robust increase in their average revenue per user (ARPU) because of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/reliance-jio-and-airtel-price-hike-new-plans-and-how-you-can-save-money/articleshow/111331794.cms">recent tariff hikes</a> according to a report by Centrum. The ARPU for private telecom players was positively impacted due to tariff hikes implemented in July 2024. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111512587" title="Jio vs Airtel vs Vi recharge plans comparison – plan benefits and price comparison after tariff hike" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> Bharti Airtel continues to maintain its lead with an ARPU of ₹233 per month for the quarter, up from ₹211 per month in the first quarter of FY25 Reliance Jio reported an ARPU of ₹195 per month compared to ₹182 per month in Q1FY25 whereas VIL reported an ARPU of ₹156 per month, up from ₹146 per month in Q1FY25. The report indicates that the tariff increases will aid telecom operators in achieving higher Average Revenue Per User (ARPU), and the full impact of these tariff increases will become evident within a few quarters. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="114944496" title="Reliance Jio IPO – India’s biggest telco to go public in 2025, retail IPO further away" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> Conversely, the operator's subscriber base declined due to SIM consolidation resulting from tariff increases implemented in July 2024. Bharti Airtel lost around 2.9 million mobile subscribers in the quarter to reach 352 million. Reliance Jio lost around 10.9 million subscribers in the quarter to reach 479 million subscribers whereas Vi lost 5.1 million subscribers in this quarter mainly in the 2G segment to reach 205 million subscribers. This quarter also saw increased porting to the government-owned telecom operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), from private operators as tariffs were not raised by the telco. The report says SIM consolidation is expected to be largely over by the end of the third quarter of the current fiscal. It adds that besides tariff hikes, ARPU for the sector will continue to grow also led by subscribers moving from 2G to 4G and growth in post-paid subscribers. Average voice and data use is expected to increase with this migration. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113548793" title="Jio and Airtel lost subscribers in July after tariff hike, BSNL records growth" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> Both Airtel and Reliance Jio are adding more cities to their 5G coverage with presence across most districts of India. About 148 million Jio subscribers have migrated to 5G and 105 million Airtel subscribers moved to 5G. With more 5G subscribers, data usage is expected to increase thereby increasing revenue and ARPU for telecom operators. The report says with these changes and reforms of September 2021, the telecom sector is moving towards some sort of stability. Tariff hikes in December 2019, November 2021 and July 2024 have led to a steady rise in operator’s ARPU. About the revival of Vi, the report says the government now has a 24% equity stake in the telco. The company is in discussion with banks to raise debt capital of ₹250 billion for its capex plans of ₹500-550 billion over the next 3 years to improve its network capacity. The company has also announced its plan to launch its 5G services in another 6 months. However, the net debt of the company still stands at ₹2 trillion. With inputs from ANI. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/tata-to-buy-a-majority-stake-in-pegatrons-iphone-plant-in-india/articleshow/115414852.cms">Tata to buy a majority stake in Pegatron's iPhone plant in India</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/webstories/ntpc-green-energy-ipo-gmp-risk-factors-and-all-you-need-to-know/slidelist/115403791.cms">NTPC Green Energy IPO – GMP, risk factors and all you need to know</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/news/jiostar-announces-plans-starting-at-15-heres-everything-you-need-to-know/articleshow/115326701.cms">JioStar announces plans starting at ₹15 – here’s everything you need to know</a>

Telcos report a rise in ARPU after tariff hike, lose subscribers

The impact of mobile phone service tariff hike was evident in July with <keyword id="19896911" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Reliance-Jio" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Reliance Jio" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Reliance Jio">Reliance Jio</keyword>, Bharti <keyword id="19896909" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Airtel" source="keywords">Airtel</keyword>, <keyword id="19899016" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vodafone-Idea" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Vodafone Idea" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Vodafone Idea">Vodafone Idea</keyword> reporting loss of customer base, which resulted in an overall decline in <keyword id="20781077" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="telecom-subscribers" source="keywords">telecom subscribers</keyword> in the country. Reliance <keyword id="19906886" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Jio" source="keywords">Jio</keyword>, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea increased their mobile service plan rates in the range of 10-27 % in the first week of July. Airtel and Vodafone Idea have more than doubled their entry-level mobile rates in the last 2-3 years to Rs 199 that comes with 28 days validity. State-run <keyword id="19970536" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="BSNL" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="BSNL" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="BSNL">BSNL</keyword> was the only player that added new subscribers and led the market in terms of new net customer addition, according to a monthly subscribers report released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India on Friday. According to the report, BSNL added over 2.94 million mobile subscribers in July. Bharti Airtel lost 1.69 million mobile subscribers which was highest among its peers. Vodafone Idea and Reliance Jio lost 1.41 million and 758,000 mobile subscribers, respectively. Overall, the telecom subscriber base in the country declined marginally to 1,205.17 million in July from 1,205.64 million in June. North East, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Mumbai, Kolkata, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Bihar, West Bengal, UP East, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh telecom circles recorded decline in mobile customer base post the hike in mobile services rates. The wireline or the fixed line connections segment increased by about 1% to 35.56 million in July from 35.11 million in June. Reliance Jio led the fixed-line segment with addition of over 480,000 new subscribers. It was followed by Bharti Airtel which added over 136,000 new subscribers, VMIPL 12,413, Vi 11,375, Tata Teleservices 3,971 and Quadrant added 12 new fixed line customers. BSNL was the biggest loser in the segment. The state-run firm lost 134,000 fixed line customers and its sister concern lost 56,454 customers. The broadband customer base in the country increased to 946.19 million at the end of July from 940.75 million in June. Top five players accounted for 98.42% of total broadband connection in the country. Reliance Jio led the chart with 488.63 million <keyword id="23252277" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="broadband-customers" source="keywords">broadband customers</keyword>, Airtel with 284.03 million, Vodafone Idea with 126.72 million, BSNL with 29.61 million and Atria Convergence with 2.26 million. Bharti Airtel led the machine-to-machine cellular mobile connections with 28.46 million subscribers accounting for 53.02 % market share.It was followed by <keyword id="21892784" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vodafone-idea-limited" source="keywords">Vodafone Idea Limited</keyword>, Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited and BSNL with market share of 27.71 %, 13.68 % and 5.58 % share respectively.

Jio, Airtel, Vi record customer loss post tariff hike, BSNL becomes only gainer in July

<ul><li><keyword id="19896911" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Reliance-Jio" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Reliance Jio" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Reliance Jio">Reliance Jio</keyword> and <keyword id="19896909" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Airtel" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Airtel" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Airtel">Airtel</keyword> have reported an increase in subscribers in May 2024.</li><li><keyword id="20116054" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vi" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Vi" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Vi">Vi</keyword> has once again reported a decline in subscribers, along with state-owned <keyword id="19970536" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="BSNL" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="BSNL" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="BSNL">BSNL</keyword>.</li><li>The overall subscriber base in India has also recorded a significant increase.</li></ul> India’s top <keyword id="20055601" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="telecom-operators" source="keywords">telecom operators</keyword>, Reliance Jio and Airtel have recorded an increase in their subscribers in May 2024, while Vi has once again recorded a decline in its user base. The overall net additions to the Indian telecom user base in May 2024 was 2 million, up from 1.47 million in April 2024. This takes the total subscriber base from 1.167 billion in April 2024 to 1.169 billion in May 2024. <h2>Reliance Jio records 2.2 million subscribers</h2>Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio, which recently announced a<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/reliance-jio-and-airtel-price-hike-new-plans-and-how-you-can-save-money/articleshow/111331794.cms"> price hike</a> added 2.2 million subscribers in May 2024, further strengthening its leadership in the Indian telecom segment. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111512587" title="Jio vs Airtel vs Vi recharge plans comparison – plan benefits and price comparison after tariff hike" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> Jio’s subscriber base has increased from 472.42 million subscribers in April 2024 to 474.62 million subscribers in May 2024. Out of the 474.62 million subscribers, the company’s active subscriber base stood at 436.95 million, which is 92.06%. <h2>Airtel adds 1.25 million subscribers</h2>Sunil Mittal-led Bharti Airtel added 1.25 million subscribers in May 2024, taking its subscriber base to 387.77 million users, up from 386.52 million subscribers in April 2024. Like always, the company continues to enjoy a high active subscriber base. Airtel’s active subscribers stand at 384.16 million users out of its 386.52 million users, which is 99.07% of its total user base. <h2>Vi continues to bleed subscribers</h2>Despite various attempts from the company, Vi continues to lose subscribers. The company lost nearly a million users in May 2024 with a decline of 9,24,797 users. The company’s subscriber base decreased from 219.08 million in April 2024 to 218.16 million users in May 2024. Out of the 218.16 million users, the company’s active user base stands at 190.97 million users. <h2>State-run BSNL loses over half a million users</h2>State-run telco Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) reported a loss of 0.51 million subscribers in May 2024, taking its total user base from 86.84 million in April 2024 to 86.33 million in May 2024. BSNL was recently in the news as social media users protested against the price hike announced by Jio, Airtel and Vi, calling for users to port to BSNL. We will have to wait for a few months to know whether this movement actually transferred to real life or was just limited to social media. <h2>MNP requests continue to grow</h2>Mobile number portability (MNP), which allows users to shift from one telecom operator to another, recorded 12 million requests during April 2024. With this, the total number of MNP requests received since the introduction of this in November 2010 has reached 985.60 million. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/oneplus-nord-4-with-metal-back-snapdragon-7-gen-3-launched-in-india-starting-at-32999/articleshow/111787031.cms">OnePlus Nord 4 with metal back, Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 launched in India starting at ₹29,999</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/news/budget-2024-expectations-fame-scheme-aid-for-vehicle-scrapping-and-other-expectations-of-the-auto-industry/articleshow/111783199.cms">Budget 2024 Expectations: FAME scheme, aid for vehicle scrapping and other expectations of the auto industry</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/its-raining-discounts-maruti-suzuki-hyundai-tata-motors-and-others-offer-discounts-on-cars-as-sales-slowdown/articleshow/111688501.cms">It’s raining discounts – Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Tata Motors and others offer discounts on cars as sales slowdown</a>

Reliance Jio and Airtel added 3.45 million subscribers in May 2024, while Vi lost nearly a million

<ul><li><keyword id="19896911" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Reliance-Jio" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Reliance Jio" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Reliance Jio">Reliance Jio</keyword> and <keyword id="19896909" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Airtel" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Airtel" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Airtel">Airtel</keyword> have reported an increase in subscribers in June 2024.</li><li><keyword id="20116054" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vi" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Vi" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Vi">Vi</keyword> has once again reported a decline in subscribers, along with state-owned BSNL.</li><li>The overall <keyword id="20376437" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="subscriber-base" source="keywords">subscriber base</keyword> in India has recorded an increase.</li></ul>India's leading <keyword id="20055601" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="telecom-operators" source="keywords">telecom operators</keyword>, Reliance Jio and Airtel have recorded an increase in their subscribers in May 2024, while Vi has once again recorded a decline in its user base. The overall net additions to the Indian telecom user base in June 2024 were 1.57 million, down from 2 million recorded in May 2024. This takes the total subscriber base from 1.169 billion in May 2024 to 1.171 billion in June 2024. The effect of the recent price hike by the telecom operators should be visible in July's report as the price hike was announced towards the end of June and came into effect from July. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111331794" title="Reliance Jio and Airtel price hike – new plans and how you can save money" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> <h2>Reliance Jio adds nearly 2 million new subscribers</h2>Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio added 1.91 million subscribers in June 2024, continuing to dominate the telecom segment. With this, Jio's subscriber base has increased from 474.62 million in May 2024 to 476.53 million in June 2024. Out of the 476.53 million subscribers, the company’s <keyword id="22859675" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="active-subscriber-base" source="keywords">active subscriber base</keyword> stood at 440.94 million, which is 92.53%. <h2>Airtel adds 1.25 million subscribers</h2>Sunil Mittal-led Bharti Airtel has once again added 1.25 million subscribers, just like May 2024. With this, the company's subscriber base has increased from 387.77 million in May 2024 to 389.02 million in June 2024. Airtel continues to enjoy a high active subscriber base. The company's active subscribers stand at 384.83 million users out of its 389.02 million users, which is 98.92% of its total user base. <h2>Vi continues to bleed subscribers</h2>Vi, which is yet to launch 5G services in the country has once again reported a decline in subscribers. The company lost nearly a million users in June 2024 with a decline of 860,889 users. The company’s subscriber base decreased from 218.16 million in May 2024 to 217.30 million users in June 2024. Out of the 217.30 million users, the company’s active user base stands at 188.26 million users, which is 86.64%. <h2>State-run BSNL loses subscribers</h2>State-run telco Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) reported a loss of 0.75 million subscribers in June 2024. With this, the telco's user base has decreased from 86.33 million in May 2024 to 85.58 million in June 2024. <h2><keyword id="22859674" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="MNP-requests" source="keywords">MNP requests</keyword> continue to grow</h2>Mobile number portability (MNP), which allows users to shift from one telecom operator to another, recorded 11.84 million requests during May 2024. With this, the total number of MNP requests received since the introduction of this in November 2010 has reached 997.44 million. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/jio-vs-airtel-vs-vi-prepaid-plans-comparison-plan-benefits-and-price-comparison-after-tariff-hike/articleshow/111512587.cms">Jio vs Airtel vs Vi recharge plans comparison – plan benefits and price comparison after tariff hike</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/the-iphone-pro-models-will-be-made-in-india-for-the-first-time-this-year/articleshow/112653019.cms">The iPhone Pro models will be made in India for the first time this year</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/indian-smartphone-market-records-7-2-growth-in-the-first-half-of-2024-vivo-leads-the-market-in-q2/articleshow/112629172.cms">Indian smartphone market records 7.2% growth in the first half of 2024, Vivo leads the market in Q2</a>

Reliance Jio and Airtel gained over 3 million subscribers in June, Vi lost nearly a million

<ul><li><keyword id="19896911" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Reliance-Jio" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Reliance Jio" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Reliance Jio">Reliance Jio</keyword> and <keyword id="19896909" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Airtel" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Airtel" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Airtel">Airtel</keyword> have reported an increase in subscribers in April 2024.</li><li><keyword id="20116054" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vi" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Vi" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Vi">Vi</keyword> has once again reported a decline in subscribers, along with state-owned BSNL.</li><li>The overall <keyword id="20376437" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="subscriber-base" source="keywords">subscriber base</keyword> in India has also recorded an increase.</li></ul> India’s two biggest <keyword id="20055601" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="telecom-operators" source="keywords">telecom operators</keyword>, Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel have once again reported a huge increase in their subscriber base, while Vi has again reported a decline in its <keyword id="21884732" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="subscriber-count" source="keywords">subscriber count</keyword>. The total net additions to India’s telecom user base were 1.47 million, which took the total subscriber base to 1.166 billion in April 2024 from 1.165 billion in March 2024. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Reliance Jio adds over 2.5 million subscribers" comment="subhead" text="Reliance Jio adds over 2.5 million subscribers">Reliance Jio adds over 2.5 million subscribers</cmsannotation> Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio further strengthened its stronghold in the Indian telecom industry with the addition of 2.69 million subscribers. The company’s subscriber base increased from 469.73 million to 472.42 million in April 2024. Out of the 472.42 million subscribers, the company’s active subscriber base stood at 433.42 million, which is 91.74%. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Airtel continues to add subscribers" comment="subhead" text="Airtel continues to add subscribers">Airtel continues to add subscribers</cmsannotation> Sunil Mittal-led Airtel added 0.75 million subscribers in April 2024, taking its total subscriber base to 386.52 million from 385.76 million users. The company continues to enjoy a high active subscriber base with 383.32 million active users out of 386.52 million users. The company’s active subscriber base stands at 99.17%. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Vi continues to bleed subscribers" comment="subhead" text="Vi continues to bleed subscribers">Vi continues to bleed subscribers</cmsannotation> Vi has continued to lose subscribers as it is yet to launch 5G services in the country. The company lost 0.74 million subscribers, bringing down its total subscriber base from 219.81 million to 219.08 million. Vi has the lowest active subscriber base among the three companies. The company’s active subscriber base stands at 192.64 million out of its 219.08 million subscribers. Its active subscriber base is 87.93%. The company’s shareholders in April had approved an ₹20,000 crore fundraising plan. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="BSNL loses over a million subscribers" comment="subhead" text="BSNL loses over a million subscribers">BSNL loses over a million subscribers</cmsannotation> State-run telco Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) reported a loss of 1.23 million subscribers in April 2024. With this, the telco’s subscriber base decreased from 88.06 million to 86.84 million. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="MNP requests continue to grow" comment="subhead" text="MNP requests continue to grow">MNP requests continue to grow</cmsannotation> Mobile number portability (MNP), which allows users to shift from one telecom operator to another, recorded 11.07 million requests during April 2024. With this, the total number of MNP requests received since the introduction of this in November 2010 has reached 973.60 million. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/xiaomi-14-civi-review/articleshow/111116956.cms">Xiaomi 14 CIVI review – affordable flagship with premium cameras</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/webstories/nvidia-dethrones-microsoft-to-become-the-worlds-most-valuable-company/slidelist/111102218.cms">As Nvidia dethrones Microsoft, check out the world's top 10 most valuable companies</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/google-gemini-app-launched-in-india-with-support-for-nine-languages/articleshow/111080854.cms">Google Gemini app launched in India with support for nine languages</a>

Reliance Jio and Airtel add nearly 3.5 million subscribers in April 2024

<ul><li>Telecom sector’s aggregate gross revenues (AGR) are expected to grow at 11-12% CAGR over FY23-26.</li><li>Like in Q1, AGR growth in the next three years will be driven by data monetization and premiumisation.</li><li>During the same period, <keyword id="15491" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="airtel" source="Orion">Airtel</keyword> is expected to gain AGR market share due to its ‘sticky and premium’ subscribers. </li></ul>After suffering through years of disruptions and consolidations, the telecom sector is showing good signs of growth in aggregate gross revenues (AGR) driven by ‘premiumisation’ – higher 4G conversions and more post-paid subscriptions. The telecom sector’s AGR is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) at 12% between FY23-FY26. And, Bharti Airtel is expected to add more market share, say analysts. “Bharti’s AGR market share is likely to jump 125 basis points in the same period (FY23-FY26) to 37.5%, and RJio’s by 110 basis points to 42.5%,” said a research report by ICICI Securities. The signs are already visible from Q1FY24 performance of Airtel, as its AGR market share went up by 80 basis points. “Bharti's strong market share gains in B and C circles indicates traction on its rural expansion strategy,” said Jefferies as it expects sector revenues to grow at 11% CAGR over FY23-26 with market share gains for Bharti/Jio. Vodafone Idea’s market share has already declined to an all-time low in Q1, and market share losses could accelerate further, says Jefferies as 5G becomes mainstream. The company has been unable to start rolling out 5G due to its heavy debt, unlike its peers who have aggressively rolling it out. The era of tariff hikes The industry AGR recorded an 8% growth in Q1 even as the sector has not seen any tariff hikes in the last 12 months. This was driven by subscriber additions, data monetisation and premiumisation – conversion from 2G to 4G and from prepaid to postpaid. Going ahead, this trend will only add to AGR as well as ARPU growth. The average revenue per user (ARPU) is also expected to grow at a healthy pace of 10% over the next three years, estimates ICICI Securities. Moreover, there are tariff hikes to come. “We believe India wireless business tariff hikes are likely to be more frequent, going forward, given the consolidated industry structure and higher ARPU requirement to justify significant capex for 5G rollout,” said a report by J M Financial. In the last three years, the sector took two tariff hikes in December 2019 by around 25%, and another in December 2021 by around 15%. The companies were affected by the first tariff hike due to SIM consolidation, but the second hike smoothly flew into the AGR. ICICI Securities too expects another tariff hike in FY25 which is expected to be at around 10%. But this is not the only factor that can contribute to ARPU growth. Over 6% CAGR growth is expected to come from premiumisation and data monetisation. “Nonetheless, industry AGR performance in the past few quarters has shown organic growth (defined as AGR growth without tariff hike) can potentially sustain at much higher levels if operators execute better data monetisation,” ICICI Securities said. And when tariff hikes happen, it will only add to market share gains to Airtel. “Bharti is the biggest beneficiary of higher tariffs given the sticky and premium quality of its subscribers, ensuring that tariff hikes flow through to ARPU,” says J M Financial. In the near future, as 5G becomes mainstream, Airtel and Jio have more to gain, as 5G users are expected to consume more data — driving the sector towards more premiumisation. <div type="javascript" title="Custom" contenttype="Text"><cdata><![CDATA[]]></cdata></div>

Airtel set to narrow the gap with Jio as telecom users go premium

<ul><li><keyword id="1553175" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="vodafone-idea" source="Orion">Vodafone Idea</keyword> reported a net loss of ₹7,990 crore in Q2 as compared to ₹7,231 crore in the same quarter, a year ago. </li><li>The telco also lost 5.8 million subscribers during the quarter, but its average revenue per user (<keyword id="107848" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="arpu" source="Orion">ARPU</keyword>) improved to ₹135 from ₹131 in the previous quarter. </li><li>The company’s CEO <keyword id="2786361" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="akshaya-moondra" source="Orion">Akshaya Moondra</keyword> maintained that Vi is engaging with lenders and investors to raise funds for network expansion and 5G rollout. </li></ul>Vodafone Idea’s troubles continue to worsen as its net loss widened to ₹7,990 crore in Q3, both on a year-on-year and sequential comparison. It was also higher than analyst estimates, albeit<a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/stocks/earnings/vodafone-idea-q3-preview-debt-ridden-telco-may-report-wider-loss/articleshow/97863951.cms"> marginally</a>. The telco reported a net loss of ₹7,596 crore in Q2, and ₹7,231 crore in Q3 last year. On the other hand, its revenues grew 9.3% YOY to ₹10,621 crore. Sequentially, its topline was flat – the telco<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/vodafone-ideas-q2-loss-widens-to-7596-crore/articleshow/95282354.cms"> reported</a> a revenue of ₹10,615 crore in Q2. Vi’s stock was trading flat in the first half on Wednesday at ₹7.7. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Subscriber base continues to shrink, but 4G user additions boost ARPU" comment="subhead" text="Subscriber base continues to shrink, but 4G user additions boost ARPU">Subscriber base continues to shrink, but 4G user additions boost ARPU</cmsannotation> Like its peers <keyword id="6354287" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="bharti-airtel" source="Orion">Bharti Airtel</keyword> and <keyword id="6354504" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="reliance-jio" source="Orion">Reliance Jio</keyword>, Vodafone Idea also reported a slight uptick in its average revenue per user (ARPU) during the quarter to ₹135, as compared to ₹131 in the previous quarter, and ₹115 a year ago. Its ARPU is still significantly lower than that of its rivals Bharti <keyword id="15491" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="airtel" source="Orion">Airtel</keyword> and Reliance Jio. While Airtel<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/bharti-airtel-q3-net-profit-jumps-91-to-1588-crore-misses-estimates/articleshow/97698481.cms"> reported</a> an ARPU of ₹193 in Q3, Jio<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/reliance-jios-net-profit-up-3-2-sequentially-at-4881-crore-in-q3-on-better-subscriber-mix/articleshow/97179677.cms"> reported</a> an ARPU of ₹178.2. Vi’s total subscriber base continued to shrink, declining to 228 million in Q3 from 234 million in the previous quarter. In the same period last year, Vi’s subscriber base stood at 247 million. On a positive note, Vi’s 4G subscriber base continued to increase. In Q3, Vi added 1 million 4G subscribers, taking the total to 121.6 million at the end of the quarter. Vi’s 4G subscribers as a percentage of its total subscribers increased to 53.2% during Q3, up from 51.5% in the previous quarter. Vodafone Idea’s Q3 in numbers: <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Particulars </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Q3 FY23 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Q2 FY23 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Q3 FY22 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Revenue </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹10,621 crore </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹10,615 crore </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹9,717 crore </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Net profit </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">- ₹7,990 crore </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">- ₹7,596 crore </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">- ₹7,231 crore </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">ARPU </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹135 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹131 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹115 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Total subscribers </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">228.6 million </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">234.4 million </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">247.2 million </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">4G subscribers </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">121.6 million </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">120.6 million </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">117 million </td></tr></tbody></table> Source: Company reports <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Engaging with lenders and investors for 5G rollout says Vi" comment="subhead" text="Engaging with lenders and investors for 5G rollout says Vi">Engaging with lenders and investors for 5G rollout says Vi</cmsannotation> Even as its rivals Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea rolled out their respective 5G networks extensively across the country, Vi says it is still in talks with stakeholders for its 5G rollout. “We continue to remain engaged with our lenders for further debt fund raising as well as with other parties for equity or equity-linked fund raising, to make required investments for network expansion and 5G rollout,” said Akshaya Moondra, CEO, Vi. Vi acquired 5G spectrum worth ₹18,799 crore, payable in 20 annual installments. Its rivals Airtel and Reliance Jio<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/jio-vs-airtel-which-one-will-offer-faster-and-more-reliable-5g-services/articleshow/93516727.cms"> acquired</a> spectrum worth ₹43,084 crore and ₹88,078 crore, respectively. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/adani-enterprises-posts-820-crore-net-profit-in-q3-gautam-adani-says-current-market-volatility-temporary/articleshow/97914997.cms">Adani Enterprises posts ₹820 crore net profit in Q3: Gautam Adani says current market volatility temporary</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/adani-group-market-cap-falls-below-10-lakh-crore/articleshow/97907746.cms">Adani group’s market cap falls below ₹10 lakh crore as sell-off continues</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/nykaas-stock-plunges-4-2-after-its-q3-net-profit-slips-70/articleshow/97901748.cms">Nykaa’s stock plunges 4.2% after its Q3 net profit slips 70%</a>

Vodafone Idea Q3 net loss widens to ₹7,990 crore, average revenue per user edges up to ₹135

<ul><li><keyword id="6354504" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="reliance-jio" source="Orion">Reliance Jio</keyword> and <keyword id="19896909" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="airtel" source="keywords">Airtel</keyword> have reported an increase in subscribers in January 2024.</li><li>Vi has once again reported a decline in subscribers, along with state-owned BSNL.</li><li>The overall subscriber base in India has also recorded an increase at the start of the year.</li></ul>India’s two biggest telecom operators, Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel have once again reported an increase in their subscriber base, while the cash-strapped Vi reported a decline in its subscriber count. Vi, the only private telecom operator to have not rolled out 5G services in the country, lost 1.52 million subscribers in January 2024 according to data from market regulator Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The telco had lost 1.38 million subscribers in December 2023. State-run <keyword id="20414626" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bharat-sanchar-nigam-limited" source="keywords">Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited</keyword> (BSNL) reported a decline of 1.18 million subscribers in January 2024. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Reliance Jio adds over 4 million subscribers" comment="subhead" text="Reliance Jio adds over 4 million subscribers">Reliance Jio adds over 4 million subscribers</cmsannotation> While the two telcos continued to lose subscribers in January 2024, Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio added 4.18 million subscribers during the period. With this, the company’s total subscriber base has increased from 459.81 million subscribers to 463.99 million subscribers, further strengthening its stronghold in the Indian telecom industry. Out of the 463.99 million subscribers, Jio’s active subscriber base currently stands at 425.61 million, which is around 91.73%. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Airtel continues to add subscribers" comment="subhead" text="Airtel continues to add subscribers">Airtel continues to add subscribers</cmsannotation> Sunil Mittal-led Airtel added 0.75 million subscribers in January 2024, taking its total subscriber base from 381.73 million subscribers in December 2023 to 382.48 million subscribers in January 2024. Airtel has the highest proportion of active subscribers at 99.64%. Out of its 382.48 million subscribers, the telco’s active subscribers stand at 381.09 million. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Vi and BSNL’s subscriber base shrinks" comment="subhead" text="Vi and BSNL’s subscriber base shrinks">Vi and BSNL’s subscriber base shrinks</cmsannotation> Vi lost 1.52 million subscribers in January 2024, taking its total subscribers from 223.05 million in December 2023 to 221.53 million users. Vi also has the lowest active subscriber proportion among the three at 88.01%. Out of its 221.53 million subscribers, only 193.96 million subscribers are active. On the other hand, state-run telco BSNL’s loss of 1.18 million subscribers takes it total subscriber count to 90.59 million, down from 91.78 million subscribers in December 2023. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="MNP requests continue to grow" comment="subhead" text="MNP requests continue to grow">MNP requests continue to grow</cmsannotation> Mobile number portability (MNP), which allows users to shift from one telecom operator to another, recorded 12.36 million requests during January 2024. With this, the total number of MNP requests received since the introduction of this in November 2010 has reached 939.55 million. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Vi expected to rollout 5G services in six months" comment="subhead" text="Vi expected to rollout 5G services in six months">Vi expected to rollout 5G services in six months</cmsannotation> According to a report by the Economic Times, Vi plans to roll out its 5G services in India in the coming six months after it gets funding. Vi is also expected to turn off its 3G services by FY25 and use this spectrum to offer improved 4G services. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/indias-electric-two-wheeler-industry-records-highest-ever-monthly-sales-as-fame-subsidy-ends/articleshow/109030516.cms">India’s electric two-wheeler industry records highest-ever monthly sales as FAME subsidy ends</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/hp-omen-transcend-14-review/articleshow/108980896.cms">HP Omen Transcend 14 review – a feature-packed, lightweight gaming laptop with excellent display</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/hyundai-retakes-the-second-spot-from-tata-motors-records-its-highest-ever-sales/articleshow/108962655.cms">Hyundai retakes the second spot from Tata Motors, records its highest-ever sales</a>

Reliance Jio and Airtel add nearly 5 million subscribers in January 2024

<ul><li><keyword id="17888391" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="jiobharat" source="Orion">JioBharat</keyword>'s competitive pricing and decent device quality are expected to attract existing feature phone users. </li><li><keyword id="6354287" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bharti-airtel" source="Orion">Bharti Airtel</keyword> may experience voice subscriber churn of approximately 17 million by March 2026. </li><li>Analysts at Jefferies Equity Research maintain a BUY rating with a revised price target of ₹1,020. </li></ul>Back in September 2016, Reliance <keyword id="2003276" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="jio" source="Orion">Jio</keyword> disrupted the Indian telecom market when it launched its mobile telephony and data services. Cut to 2023 and Jio is set to disrupt the market again with JioBharat the cheapest <keyword id="122479" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="4g" source="Orion">4G</keyword> feature phone priced at ₹999. Analysts at Jefferies Equity Research while analysing the impact of the launch, believe that over the next few years this will hit Bharti Airtel, its biggest competitor, with a potential 1-4% reduction in their India-mobile subscribers. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Jio expected to gain market share" comment="subhead" text="Jio expected to gain market share">Jio expected to gain market share</cmsannotation> JioBharat's competitive pricing and decent device quality are expected to attract existing feature phone users. Those nearing the end of their device life could potentially save 26% on their overall mobile expenses (device + service) by switching to JioBharat. However, users who are content with their current handsets may not switch. As a result, JioBharat is estimated to have an annual addressable market of approximately 60-65 million users. Based on this, the report anticipates Reliance Jio gaining around 55 million subscribers by March 2026. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Airtel’s subscriber estimates lowered" comment="subhead" text="Airtel’s subscriber estimates lowered">Airtel’s subscriber estimates lowered</cmsannotation> Bharti Airtel currently has around 130 million active 2G subscribers and over 100 million paying voice subscribers, giving it a substantial 40-50% share in the 250 million <keyword id="8627917" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="feature-phone" source="Orion">feature-phone</keyword> market. Despite having a better <keyword id="6359918" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="network" source="Orion">network</keyword> compared to other 2G operators, its dominant position in the feature-phone market may result in higher subscriber losses. As a consequence, the report projects Bharti Airtel to experience voice subscriber churn of approximately 17 million by March 2026, leading to a potential 1-4% reduction in their India-mobile subscriber estimates for the fiscal years 2024 to 2026. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="What else is affecting Bharti Airtel’s growth?" comment="subhead" text="What else is affecting Bharti Airtel’s growth?">What else is affecting Bharti Airtel’s growth?</cmsannotation> Jio's focus on subscriber gains through network capacity additions and JioBharat launch may delay tariff hikes. Tariff hike assumptions are adjusted from 15% by end of calendar year 2923 to 20% in Q2 FY2025, resulting in a 3-5% cut to FY2024-2025 India Mobile average revenue per user (ARPU) estimates. The recent 68% devaluation of Nigerian Naira vs USD affects Bharti Airtel's Africa growth until Q1 FY2025, leading to a 17-21% reduction in Africa revenues and Ebitda. The market value of Airtel Africa has also corrected by 15% due to the Naira devaluation. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="BUY rating maintained" comment="subhead" text="BUY rating maintained">BUY rating maintained</cmsannotation> Considering the delay in tariff hikes and the potential subscriber churn due to JioBharat, the analysts have revised their FY2024-2026 India revenue/ EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortisation) estimates for Bharti Airtel, reducing them by 2-5%. However, it is still anticipated that Bharti Airtel will achieve strong growth with 15-16% CAGR in India revenue and EBITDA over FY 2023-2026, along with improving return on capital employed (ROCE) and generating more free cash flow. Furthermore, the impact of JioBharat may accelerate the move towards a duopoly in the market, leading us to raise the target enterprise value (EV)/EBITDA for India to 10x (in line with the 5-year average). So the analysts maintain a BUY rating with a revised price target of ₹1,020. The BUY rating is based on a favourable risk-reward scenario at the current price levels. Key factors contributing to this recommendation are Bharti's significant share gain in 4G subscribers, their intention to increase ARPU, and an optimistic tariff outlook driven by the government's stake in the stock. These factors align to present a compelling case for investors to consider buying Bharti's shares.<div type="image" title="Bharti Airtel" msid="102104466" hostid="261" sizebytes="22694"></div>

Will the newly launched JioBharat feature phone impact Airtel? Jefferies believes so

<ul><li><keyword id="1553175" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vodafone-Idea" source="Orion">Vodafone Idea</keyword>’s subscriber losses refuse to stem as it lost over 2 million subscribers in February. </li><li>Its rivals <keyword id="6354504" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="reliance-jio" source="Orion">Reliance Jio</keyword> and Bharti <keyword id="15491" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="airtel" source="Orion">Airtel</keyword> have added nearly 1 million subscribers each. </li><li>The total telecom subscriber base also fell by 1.1 million during February to 1,142 million. </li></ul>Vodafone Idea’s subscriber losses refuse to stem as it lost over 2 million subscribers in February. Its rivals Reliance <keyword id="2003276" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="jio" source="Orion">Jio</keyword> and Bharti Airtel have added nearly 1 million subscribers each, according to data from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (<keyword id="6356988" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="TRAI" source="Orion">TRAI</keyword>). The total telecom subscriber base also fell by 1.1 million during February to 1,142 million. Vi’s total subscriber base at the end of February stood at 237.9 million, Jio’s at 427.1 million, and Airtel’s at 369.8 million. Airtel continued to lead the industry in terms of the rate of active subscribers – 99.25% of its subscribers have an active plan, as compared to Jio at 93.08%, and Vi at 87.55%. Jio and Airtel have been nibbling away at Vi’s market share for several months now. The last time Vi reported a net addition in its subscribers was back in March 2021. Since then, the telco has lost nearly 46 million subscribers, while Jio has added 4.3 million subscribers and Airtel, 17.4 million. <div type="image" title="Airtel Reliance Jio Vodafone Idea subscriber additions Jan-Feb 2023." msid="100182741" hostid="261" sizebytes="24284" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Airtel, Reliance Jio, Vodafone Idea subscriber additions since January 2022&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Vodafone’s subscriber loss accelerated after Jio and Airtel launched 5G services in October. Since then, Vi has lost 11.2 million subscribers, while Jio has added 7.2 million subscribers and Airtel has added 5.7 million users to its network. In terms of active subscribers, too, Jio and Airtel have been the better performers, increasing their active subscriber base by 4 million, while Vi reported a decline of 0.8 million. However, the gap between all the three telcos continued to widen. Reliance Jio is continuing to pull ahead of its peers Airtel and Vi as it is adding more active subscribers. “Reliance Jio's leadership in active subscriber additions and Bharti's market share gains amongst 3G/4G subscribers should keep both telcos amenable to higher tariffs, which in turn bodes well for the growth outlook for both Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio,” a Jefferies report said. <div type="image" title="Telecom market share (active users) Jan22 - Feb23." msid="100182754" hostid="261" sizebytes="30480" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Active subscriber market share&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Subscriber churn remains elevated across the industry" comment="subhead" text="Subscriber churn remains elevated across the industry">Subscriber churn remains elevated across the industry</cmsannotation> The total subscriber churn in the telecom industry continued to remain elevated, staying above the 10 million mark for the eighth consecutive month at 11.2 million in February. “We believe that the telecom industry will continue to consolidate with Top 2 (Jio and Airtel) players gaining subscriber share at expense of peers,” the analysts at Prabhudas Lilladher said. Reliance Jio reported a net profit of ₹4,716 crore in the March quarter. Results of its peers Airtel and Vi are yet to come in. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/adani-transmission-adani-total-gas-dropped-by-msci-stocks-fall/articleshow/100177534.cms">Adani Transmission, Adani Total Gas dropped by MSCI: Stocks tumble 5% in morning trade</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/adani-hindenburg-row-mauritian-minister-rejects-shell-company-allegations/articleshow/100164083.cms">Adani-Hindenburg row: Mauritian minister rejects shell company allegations</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/news/ipl-2023-scores-over-1300-crore-video-views-on-jiocinema-in-the-first-five-weeks/articleshow/100155165.cms">IPL 2023 scores over 1,300 crore video views on JioCinema in the first five weeks</a>

Vi's loss is Jio and Airtel's gain: Jio and Airtel add nearly 1 million subscribers each in Feb

<ul><li>Analysts expect stability in the Indian telecom sector in Q2, with <keyword id="2003276" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="jio" source="Orion">Jio</keyword> and <keyword id="15491" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="airtel" source="Orion">Airtel</keyword> likely to strengthen their position further.</li><li>4G subscriber additions and lower spectrum usage charges are expected to boost telcos’ operating performance.</li><li>Focus will also be on management commentary regarding 5G capex and monetisation plans, and tariff hikes.</li></ul>4G subscriber additions and a minor boost from lower spectrum usage charges (SUC) are expected to benefit India’s leading telecom players <keyword id="6354504" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="reliance-jio" source="Orion">Reliance Jio</keyword> and <keyword id="6354287" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="bharti-airtel" source="Orion">Bharti Airtel</keyword>, while Vodafone Idea’s position could worsen despite a moderate increase in average revenue per user (ARPU), according to analysts. The overall telecom industry is expected to report a stable quarter with a revenue growth of 19% year-on-year, according to BNP Paribas. On a sequential basis, however, the consensus forecast amongst brokerages is a 1-4% growth. “However, quarter-on-quarter growth (2.4%) is likely to be weaker compared with the previous two quarters as tariff hike benefits are largely behind and subscriber additions are likely to be muted,” said a report by BNP Paribas. The 5G spectrum acquired by the three telcos will not attract any SUC, which will bring down the overall amount of these statutory charges. However, since the airwaves were allocated halfway through August, brokerages say the full benefits will start reflecting only from Q3 of this fiscal year. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="ARPU growth to remain moderate – another tariff hike possible" comment="subhead" text="ARPU growth to remain moderate – another tariff hike possible">ARPU growth to remain moderate – another tariff hike possible</cmsannotation> ARPU, which is the amount of money that telcos generate from each subscriber on an average, is expected to see a moderate 1-3% increase, primarily on account of higher number of days in the quarter. The brokerages suggest that most of the benefits of the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/mukesh-ambani-led-reliance-jio-hikes-prices-of-its-plans-by-21/articleshow/87965329.cms">tariff hikes from last year</a> have already been reaped by the telcos. Analysts at BNP Paribas and Edelweiss Research expect another tariff hike in FY23, and Vi could take the lead in this regard. “Tariff hike environment is right and we won’t hesitate to take leadership in hiking prices,” Vi’s then CEO and now chairman Ravinder Takkar had<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/vi-betting-on-tariff-hike-as-it-lost-over-10-million-every-day-in-q1-fy23/articleshow/93348828.cms"> said during an analyst concall</a> earlier in August. Vi bled $10 million a day in the first quarter in FY23 and lost 15 million subscribers in the period. The telco reported a loss of ₹7,293 crore in Q1, and a BofA Securities report expects it to worsen to ₹7,340 crore in Q2. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="What to look out for in management commentary – 5G capex, tariff hikes" comment="subhead" text="What to look out for in management commentary – 5G capex, tariff hikes">What to look out for in management commentary – 5G capex, tariff hikes</cmsannotation> Amongst key aspects in the management commentary would be the telcos’ 5G capex and monetisation plans, clarity on the boost to margins due to lower SUC overall, and details of the next set of tariff hikes. Brokerages also expect Jio and Airtel to report subscriber additions, while Vi is expected to lose 2-4 million subscribers in the quarter. Earlier, a Nomura report<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/heres-how-much-mobile-bills-can-increase-from-5g-network-service/articleshow/93312184.cms"> suggested</a> that telcos have two options to offset the extensive 5G spectrum purchases – increase prices for their existing subscribers by 4%, or launch 5G services at a premium of 30%. For now, both<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/reliance-jio-and-airtel-5g-prices-may-be-affordable-for-now-but-expected-to-increase-after-wider-rollout/articleshow/94636173.cms"> Airtel and Jio are offering 5G services at no added cost</a> to their subscribers, but it remains to be seen which approach they adopt when their 5G services are launched commercially. <div type="javascript" title="Custom" contenttype="Text"><cdata><![CDATA[]]></cdata></div> SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/nifty50-valuations-remain-expensive-but-experts-are-divided-on-indias-growth-prospects/articleshow/94704195.cms">Nifty50 valuations remain expensive, but experts are divided on India's growth prospects</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/banks-to-reap-rewards-of-interest-rate-hikes-in-q2-earnings/articleshow/94706875.cms">Banks to reap rewards of interest rate hikes in Q2 earnings</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/5g-could-be-indias-next-growth-engine-and-a-successful-rollout-hinges-on-telcos-govt-policies/articleshow/94685725.cms">5G could be India’s next growth engine, and a successful rollout hinges on telcos, govt policies</a>

You Searched For "bharti airtel loss" and got 11 results

Telcos report a rise in ARPU after tariff hike, lose subscribers

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Reliance Jio and Airtel added 3.45 million subscribers in May 2024, while Vi lost nearly a million

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Reliance Jio and Airtel gained over 3 million subscribers in June, Vi lost nearly a million

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Reliance Jio and Airtel add nearly 3.5 million subscribers in April 2024

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Airtel set to narrow the gap with Jio as telecom users go premium

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Vodafone Idea Q3 net loss widens to ₹7,990 crore, average revenue per user edges up to ₹135

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Reliance Jio and Airtel add nearly 5 million subscribers in January 2024

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Will the newly launched JioBharat feature phone impact Airtel? Jefferies believes so

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Vi's loss is Jio and Airtel's gain: Jio and Airtel add nearly 1 million subscribers each in Feb

Rounak Jain

Telecom sector to ring in stability in Q2 – Jio and Airtel expected to grow stronger, Vi weaker

Rounak Jain

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