GSM Operators Add 5.5 Million Subscribers in October, Says COAI

Leading GSM operators in the country have added 5.5 million new subscribers in October, taking the total user base to 791.62 million, industry body COAI said on Tuesday.

"The number of subscribers grew to 791.62 million in October, a jump of 5.55 million subscribers compared to the previous month. The telecom industry has been witnessing a steady growth as recorded in net subscriber additions from 2.09 million in August to 5.55 million in October," COAI said in a statement.

Bharti Airtel continued to hold on to the pole position in October, adding another 2.33 million additional subscribers during the month, taking its total subscriber base to 262.67 million.

Vodafone had 201.90 million subscribers and Idea Cellular had 180.25 million subscribers, the COAI statement said. The figures do no yet take into account Reliance Jio subscribers.

Earlier this week, COAI said that new rules on installation of mobile towers and laying of optical cables will reduce call drops, rev up broadband speeds and improve service quality for consumers.

"The rules will enable operators to improve coverage and capacity and address the issue of call drops, ultimately benefiting consumers. It will allow telecom companies to provide broadband at better speeds as the rules provides clear direction to State and local bodies on laying down of fibre cables," COAI Director General, Rajan Mathews told PTI.

Overall, he said, the newly-notified Right of Way or RoW rules by Telecom Department will improve customer's experience of telecom services.