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Sep 12 2003
India's subscriber base for telephony services has continued to
grow strongly during August 2003. Cellular operators added 1.09 million
subscribers during August 2003, thus maintaining the one million plus growth for
the second consecutive month. CDMA based WLL subscribers have also maintained
the growth trend and around 0.68 million new subscribers were added in August
2003 as against 1.2 million in the previous month. In comparison the growth in
the wireline subscribers' base during August 2003 is lower at 38,000. WLL
(Fixed) subscribers increased by 76,000 in August 2003. Thus, the subscriber
base for fixed lines increased by 1,14,000 in August 2003.
The combined additions of Cellular, WLL and Wireline subscribers
during the month of August 2003 being 1.9 million, almost maintains the
unprecedented trend of 2 million additions/ month for telecom subscribers in the
previous month.
The total addition to subscriber base for Cellular and Basic
Services together in the first 5 months of the current year (2003-04) works out
to around 8.6 million, compared to the level of additions for these services
being 2.49 million subscribers for the corresponding period last year- a jump of
about 3.5 times.
If a similar growth trend is maintained during the year, the
total addition to subscriber base during the year is projected to exceed 20
million, taking the gross subscribers base of Cellular and Basic services beyond
70 million by next March.
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