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Friday, September 12, 2003

Phone users to cross 70 mn mark by March: TRAI

Reuters
New Delhi, September 12

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) said in a statement it
expects the country's phone user base to cross 70 million by March as more
people take advantage of some of the world's lowest tariffs.

Combined additions of cellular, wireless in local loop (WLL) and fixed-line
connections were 1.9 million in August, the regulator said in a statement
released late on Thursday.

"If a similar growth trend is maintained during the year, the total addition
to the subscriber base is projected to exceed 20 million, taking the gross
subscribers base of cellular and basic services beyond 70 million by end of
fiscal year 2003-04," the statement said.

More than a dozen telecoms firms, both private and state-run, compete for a
slice of the country's booming telecoms sector.

India has more than 40 million fixed-line customers, 17.4 million users of
cellular services and the base for wireless in local loop mobility
facilities exceeds 4.5 million.

Major players include Bharti Tele-Ventures Ltd, 16 per cent owned by
Singapore Telecommunications; state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) ;
the powerful Reliance and Tata business groups and the Indian mobile unit of
Hutchison Whampoa conglomerate.

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