Mobile user base falls short of 2005 target

Posted on | January 10, 2006 |

Despite record growth and increase of 58.13% in the subscriber base in 2005, India’s mobile users’ population is well below projections. The country finished 2005 with close to 76 million mobile users and a broadband base of 840,000 users, falling well short of its target of 100 million cellular and 3 million broadband subscribers by the end of the year.

More importantly, the country, which increased its mobile subscriber base by 27.91 million in 2005, will now have to grow at double this pace over the next two years to meet the government’s target of 200 million users by 2007.

In March 2003, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India had set a target of 100 million mobile subscribers by December 2005.

Besides, the government’s Broadband Policy, which was unveiled in 2004, had set a target of 3 million connections by last December.

Operators, however, remain optimistic.

“The death of validity in the pre-paid segment has resulted in all major operators adding over a million customers in December. With the extension of these schemes to the post-paid category, 2006 will best the last year by a wide margin,

Category: General

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