Airtel records 3.8 million new subscribers in September – more than twice that of Reliance Jio’s additions

• Airtel is picking up pace again when it comes to adding new mobile subscribers, beating Reliance Jio by more than two times in September.
• Airtel added 3.77 million subscribers in September, while Jio was a distant second with 1.46 million additions.
• Vodafone Idea’s subscribers fell below 300 million for the first time since the merger of Vodafone and Idea – it lost 4.65 million users in September.
• While it is catching up in the wireless segment, Airtel has another headache in the wireline segment – Jio.
• Check out the latest news and updates on Business Insider.

Bharti Airtel is going from strength to strength as it continues to speed up in its bid to catch up with Reliance Jio in the wireless segment.

According to the latest data released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), Bharti Airtel added a record 3.77 million subscribers in September 2020, beating Reliance Jio by more than two times. The Ambani-led telco added 1.46 million subscribers during the same period.

On the other hand, Vodafone Idea continued to haemorrhage users, losing 4.65 million subscribers.


According to the data published by TRAI, Reliance Jio still has a healthy lead in terms of total subscribers. It now has 404.12 million subscribers, giving it a market share of over 35%. Airtel follows with 326.61 million subscribers, while Vodafone Idea’s subscribers fell below 300 million for the first time since the merger of Vodafone and Idea.


Source: TRAI report, September 2020

Reliance Jio fast catching up with Airtel in the wireline segment

While Bharti Airtel is returning to winning ways in the wireless segment, it now faces a known threat in the wireline segment – Reliance Jio.

According to the TRAI data, Reliance Jio added over 3 lakh new landline subscribers, with the expansion of its Jio Fiber service being the reason behind it. Airtel, on the other hand, added over 66,000 new customers, less than five times that of Reliance Jio.

Public sector telcos BSNL and MTNL together lost over 2 lakh subscribers in the same period.

Airtel has 4.4 million subscribers, while Jio now has 2.1 million.

SEE ALSO:

Reliance Jio beats Vodafone-Idea but falls well short of Airtel’s revenue growth in the September quarter

Bharti Airtel loss narrows, revenue beats analyst estimates – ARPU rises to ₹162

Reliance Jio is now twice as valued as Airtel that is down 25% from its peak in May