Jio bleeds users: 7.9 million ditch India’s telecom giant in a month

Reliance Jio experienced a significant loss of 7.9 million wireless subscribers in September 2024, while state-owned BSNL added 0.85 million new users, as per media reports citing data from India's Ministry of Communications.

BSNL stood out as the only telecom operator to gain wireless subscribers during this period. Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia praising BSNL’s progress said, “I see a huge opportunity in BSNL,” as the government-owned telecom company continues its revival and expansion efforts.

The data also revealed that Bharti Airtel lost 1.4 million users, and Vodafone Idea saw a decline of 1.5 million users in September. Combined, the three private operators—Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea—shed over 10 million wireless subscribers during the month.

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As of September 30, 2024, private access service providers held a dominant 91.85 per cent share of the wireless market. In contrast, the two public sector units, BSNL and MTNL, accounted for just 8.15 per cent of the market share.

The total number of wireless subscribers fell from 1,163.83 million at the end of August 2024 to 1,153.72 million by the end of September, marking a monthly decline of 0.87 per cent. Urban wireless subscriptions dropped from 633.21 million to 628.12 million, while rural subscriptions decreased from 530.63 million to 525.60 million over the same period.

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The Ministry of Communications noted, "The monthly decline rate of urban and rural wireless subscription was 0.80 per cent and 0.95 per cent respectively."

Additionally, September 2024 saw 13.32 million subscribers submitting requests for Mobile Number Portability (MNP), reflecting ongoing shifts in user preferences within the telecom sector.

(With inputs from agencies)