BENGALURU: Month-on-month (MOM) broadband internet subscriber growth in December 2018 (Dec-18) was the second lowest in 2018 at just 66.5 lakh (6.65 million, 0.665 crore) subscriber additions or 1.3 percent as compared to the immediate trailing month – Nov-18. The lowest growth was in the month of Aug-18 at just 34.1 lakh (3.41 million or 0.341 crore)  or 0.7 percent as compared to the previous month based on Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) monthly telecom data reports.Bharti Airtel has lost wireless broadband internet subscribers in the month of Dec-18.

Broadband subscribers across wired, mobile device (phones and dongles) and fixed wireless grew 42.9 percent from 3,628.7 lakh (362.87 million or 36.287 crore) as of 31 December 2017 by 1,556.8 lakh (155.68 million or 15.568 crore) to 5,185.5 lakh (518.85 million or 51.885 crore) as of 31 December 2018. Please refer to the figures below for MOM subscriber growth trends.

Mobile devices comprising of phones and dongles is the largest constituent of India’s broadband internet subscriber base at 96.4 percent. Growth in broadband internet subscribers in calendar year 2018 (CY 2018) was led by growth in mobile devices users at 99.8 percent or 1,553.80 lakh (155.38 million or 15.538 crore) of new subscribers added in the year. Broadband internet subscribers through mobile devices grew 45.1percent from 3,445.7 lakh (344.57 million or 34.457 crore) at the end of Dec-17 to 4,999.50 lakh (499.95 million or 49.995 crore) at the end of Dec18.

Wired broadband internet subscribers grew 1.7 percent or by 3.1 lakh (0.31 million or 0.031 crore) in CY 2018 from 178.6 lakh (17.86 million or 1,786 crore) at the end of Dec17 to 181.7 lakh (18.17 million or 1.817 crore) at the end of Dec-18.

Fixed wireless- WiFi, Wi Max, Point to Point, Radio, Vsat broadband internet subscribers   declined by about 10,000 (fell by about 2.7 percent) from 4.4 lakh (0.44 million or 0.044 crore) at the end of Dec-17 to 4.3 lakh (0.43 million or 0.043 crore) at the end of Dec-18.

Please refer to the figure below for details of broadband internet subscribers at the end of each month starting from Dec-17 until Dec-18.

Airtel loses broadband internet subscribers.

The top five broadband internet service providers across all segments constituted 
98.57 percent marketshare of the total broadbandsubscribers at the end of Dec18. These service providers wereReliance JioInfocomm Ltd 28,01.2 lakh (280.12 million or 28.012 crore), Vodafone Idea 1,079.2 lakh (107.92 million or 10.792 crore), Bharti Airtel 1,002.6 lakh (100.26 million or 10.026 crore), BSNL 205.5 lakh (20.55million or 2.055 crore) and Tata Tele. Group 22,6 lakh (2.26 million or 0.226 crore).

Wireless broadband internet subscribers (mobiles and dongles)

Bharti Airtel Limited lost 45 lakh (4.5 million or 0.45 crore) wireless broadband internet subscribers in the month of Dec-18. The company’s wireless broadband internet subscriber base fell to 979.9 lakh (97.99 million or 9.799 crore) at the end of Dec-18 from 1,024.9 lakh (102.49 million or 10.259 crore) at the end of Nov-18.

As on 31 December, 2018, the top five wireless broadband service providers were Reliance JioInfocomm Ltd 2801.2 lakh (280.12 million or 28.012 crore), Vodafone Idea 1079 lakh (107.90 million or 10.79 crore), Bharti Airtel 979.9 lakh (97.99 million or 9.799 crore), BSNL 113.8 (11.38 million or 1.138 crore) and Tata Teleservices 17.9 lakh (1.79 million or 0.179n crore).

Wired broadband internet subscribers

The combined total number of broadband subscribers of the top 5 wired broadband internet service providers fell by about 60,000 in 2018, hence their market share among the wired broadband internet services providers has declined. The biggest losers were the public sector BSNL and MTNL, which lost 23 lakh (2.3 million or 0.23 crore) and 13 lakh (1.3 million or 0.13 crore) subscribers respectively in CY 2018.  Their subscriber bases at the end of 2018 were 91.7 lakh and 7.8 lakh respectively. Airtel added 1.2 lakh (0.12 million or 0.012 crore) subscribers in the year, while Atria Convergence Technologies (ACT) added 1.1 lakh (0.11 million or 0.011 crore) subscribers. The fifth wired broadband internet services among the top 5 –Hathway Cable & Datacom (Hathway) added 50,000 subscribers in CY 2018.

As on 31 December, 2018, the top five Wired Broadband Service providers were BSNL 91.7 lakh (9.17 million or 0.917 crore), Bharti Airtel 22.7 lakh (2.27 million or 0.227 crore), ACT 13.9 lakh (1.39 million or 0.139 crore), MTNL 7.8 lakh (0.78 million or 0.078 crore) and Hathway7.8 lakh (0.78 million or 0.078 crore).