Telecom

India’s two biggest telecom operators, Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel have once again reported an increase in their subscriber base, while the cash-strapped Vi reported a decline in its subscriber count. Vi, the only private telecom operator to have not rolled out 5G services in the country, lost 1.52 million subscribers in January 2024 according to data from market regulator Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The telco had lost 1.38 million subscribers in December 2023.

Online fraud has been on the rise in the country, with several instances of fraud resulting from calls being forwarded illegally. To curb this, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has asked telecom operators in the country to deactivate USSD-based call forwarding services across the country. With this move, users will not be able to use this service for call forwarding starting from April 15, 2024.

There has been a considerable increase in online scams in the country, with SIM swap scam emerging as a significant issue. To curb this, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has announced new rules around mobile number portability (MNP). TRAI has issued new guidelines based on suggestions from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to curb fraudsters from porting out mobile connections using the SIM swap scam. The new guidelines will come into effect from July 1, 2024.

Reliance Jio and Airtel have once gained subscribers at the cost of Vi in December 2023. The two telecom operators have together added over 5 million subscribers during the final month of 2023. Vi, which is the only private telecom operator to have not rolled out 5G services in the country, lost 1.38 million subscribers in December 2023 according to data from Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

Elon Musk-run aerospace company SpaceX has launched the first batch satellites to connect mobile phone users anywhere on the planet.

In 2023, housing prices surged by 10-24% across the top 7 cities on an annual basis. This was primarily driven by heightened input expenses and robust demand.Despite the escalation in property prices and the increase in home loan interest rates earlier in 2023, the Indian residential real estate sector has experienced an exceptional year, according to the latest Anarock Research data.

Reliance Jio added 34.7 lakh mobile subscribers in September, cementing its lead in the competitive telecom market, while Airtel's wireless subscriber tally rose by 13.2 lakh, according to monthly data put out by Trai. Vodafone Idea lost 7.5 lakh mobile subscribers during September, dragging its wireless user tally to 22.75 crore.

India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is all set to enforce new rules for SIM cards, starting from December 1, 2023. The rules were announced on August 1, 2023 and were scheduled to come into effect from October 1, 2023. However, this was delayed by two months and is now coming into effect. The new SIM card rules are aimed at dealing with frauds such as the SIM swap scam, fake SIMs and other online frauds. The new SIM card rules have been framed around issuance of new SIM cards.

Indian telecom operators Reliance Jio and Airtel have once gained subscribers in August 2023, continuing to increase their subscriber base. Jio has recorded the highest increase in subscribers, followed by Airtel, while Vi reported a decline. In the month of August 2023, Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio emerged as the biggest winner, gaining 3.25 million subscribers. Airtel on the other hand gained 1.22 million subscribers. State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) also reported a decline of 2.23 million subscribers.

Telecom operator Vodafone Idea (VIL) will make significant investments to roll out 5G network and expand 4G coverage in the coming quarters, billionaire industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla said on Friday. Birla, chairman of Aditya Birla group, which is one of the shareholders of the troubled telco VIL, was speaking at the inaugural session of India Mobile Congress.

Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman of Bharti Enterprises and founder of Bharti Airtel revealed a significant technological leap for India during his address at the 7th edition of the India Mobile Congress. Speaking to a captivated audience, Mittal declared, "A new technology is now available for our country. Satellite communication is here to serve every inch of our country and of course the globe."

Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited, a leading name in India's telecommunications sector, has unveiled JioSpaceFiber, the country's first satellite-based gigabit broadband service, marking a step in connecting remote regions of India with high-speed internet. According to a press release by Reliance Jio, this launch was showcased at the India Mobile Congress on Friday, as Reliance Jio seeks to extend high-speed broadband services to areas that were previously inaccessible. JioSpaceFiber will soon be available throughout India at highly competitive prices.

New Delhi, With the start of the World Cup cricket tournament, Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel have rolled out plans to woo c...

Reliance Jio and Airtel have once gained subscribers at the cost of Vi in July 2023, continuing the ongoing trend. The troubled telco, which is the only private operator to have not rolled out 5G services in the country, lost 1.32 million subscribers in July 2023 according to data from Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

Billionaire Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio has launched the JioAirFiber, its latest offering in the country. The company has introduced several plans for the service, offering additional benefits with the plans. The JioAirFiber was announced at the company’s annual general meeting (AGM) last month and has finally been launched across eight cities. This will take on Airtel’s Xstream AirFiber that was launched recently.

Reliance Jio will launch its much awaited service Jio AirFiber on September 19, coinciding with the festival of Ganesh Chathurthi, said Mukesh Ambani, the chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries (RIL) as a part of his speech at the company’s 46th annual general meeting (AGM) on Monday. Jio AirFiber is a fixed wireless broadband offering that Ambani claimed can supercharge the number of customers that can be added into the network. “Home segment turbocharged by AirFibre and will target the untapped Indian home segment,” he added.

After suffering through years of disruptions and consolidations, the telecom sector is showing good signs of growth in aggregate gross revenues (AGR) driven by ‘premiumisation’ – higher 4G conversions and more post-paid subscriptions. The telecom sector’s AGR is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) at 12% between FY23-FY26. And, Bharti Airtel is expected to add more market share, say analysts.

India’s biggest telecom operator, Reliance Jio may soon launch a new fixed wireless access (FWA) dubbed as Jio AirFiber in India after it's biggest competitor Airtel launched the Xtream AirFiber earlier this month. According to a report by Economic Times, the Mukesh Ambani-led telco is scheduled to launch the new device during the upcoming festive season and the device will be launched at a price up to 20% less than its competitors.

Telecom majors are not adding as many mobile subscribers as they used to a couple of years ago. While improved penetration is one reason, the other key reason is tariff increase that most players undertook in 2021. In the month of May, the sector saw active subscriber base rise by 5 mn. Billionaire Mukesh Ambani controlled Reliance Jio continues to gain market share in India’s telecom market. Data released by the Telecom Authority of India (TRAI) shows that Reliance Jio added 4.9 million new subscribers in May, which is more than double of Bharti Airtel’s 2.4 mn net additions. VIL continued to experience subscriber losses, with a decline of 2.8 million subscribers.

Telecom company Bharti Airtel on Monday said it has prepaid Rs 8,024 crores to the Department of Telecom towards prepayment of deferred liabilities pertaining to spectrum acquired in an auction held in 2015.

New Delhi, Airtel Africa on Thursday reported a loss of USD 151 million (about Rs 1,237 crore) for June quarter 2023-24. In the year-ago period, it l...

Back in September 2016, Reliance Jio disrupted the Indian telecom market when it launched its mobile telephony and data services. Cut to 2023 and Jio is set to disrupt the market again with JioBharat the cheapest 4G feature phone priced at ₹999. Analysts at Jefferies Equity Research while analysing the impact of the launch, believe that over the next few years this will hit Bharti Airtel, its biggest competitor, with a potential 1-4% reduction in their India-mobile subscribers.