The GSM operators have added 1.78 million new users in August, a marginal increase of 0.26 per cent from previous month, taking their total subscriber base to 674.4 million.
Aircel has topped the charts in subscriber addition during the month under review, with the company adding 8,76,883 users, according to data released by the industry body Cellular Operators’ Association of India (COAI).
The GSM operator, with a total of 62.60 million users, ranked fifth with a 9.28 per cent market share. As of July end, the GSM operators’ user base was at 672.6 million.
Bharti Airtel, the country’s largest operator by subscribers, added 8,33,852 users in August. The New Delhi-based company also maintained its leadership position with a 28.50 per cent market share and a total of 192.22 million users.
Vodafone India, the second-rung GSM operator lost 85,812 users during the reporting month, resulting in its total user base sliding to 154.3 million. Other operators who lost subscribers during the month were Uninor (5,05,589) and state-owned Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (2,48,331).
Uninor had a total of 32.25 million users and that of MTNL, with operations only in Mumbai and Delhi circles, stood at 3.84 million.
The Aditya Birla group company Idea Cellular added 7,52,107 users during the month, taking its total subscriber base to 126 million. The Mumbai-based operator, with a 18.69 per cent market share, ranked third among the GSM operators.
Videocon added 1,58,003 users during the month, taking its total customer base to 2.92 million as of August-end.