GSM user base rises marginally in October

GSM operators added 4.3 million subscribers in October, despite the month being a seasonally weak one, posting a 0.64-per cent rise from the previous month. The GSM operators' total subscriber base rose to 683.16 million, with the country's top operator Bharti Airtel topping the user addition charts, compared with million 678.82 million customers as of September end.

The country's GSM operators, represented by the Cellular Operators together had added a total of about 4.4 million users in September.

In October Bharti Airtel roped in nearly 1.48 million new users, helping to increase its total subscriber base to 194.88 million as of October-end. The subscriber addition also helped the New Delhi-based operator to maintain its leadership position with a 28.53 per cent market share, according to data released by the Cellular Operators' Association of India (COAI).

Second-rung operator Vodafone India added 1.15 million users during the reporting months garnering a 22.94 per cent market share and a total of 156.69 million users during the month.

Idea Cellular, which had moved to the third position following deactivation of more than 10 million subscribers in September, won 1.14 million new users during the month. The company, a unit of business conglomerates Aditya Birla group, had a total subscriber base of 128.38 million as of October end.

Aircel, in which Malaysia's Maxis Communications holds a majority stake, added 497,112 users, garnering a total of 63.7 million users. The operator had a market share 9.33 per cent share. Videocon Telecom added 239,984 users during the month taking its total to 3.48 million.

However, Uninor lost 21,935 users (total 32.33 million) during the reporting month, while State-owned Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) lost 164,698 users taking its total to 3.44 million.