In recent data released by TRAI, telecom usage trends have come to light for the month of June. The report revealed significant increases in call and data consumption, marking a notable shift in user behaviour. Voice call usage has seen a remarkable surge over the past decade, with mobile users now spending an average of 963 minutes per month, a substantial increase from the 2014 average of 638 minutes. This surge can be attributed to the widespread availability of unlimited free voice calling services, driving a 6.1 percent annual increase in call time.
Average revenue per user
Furthermore, the average revenue per user (ARPU) for major telecom operators including Airtel, Jio, Vi, and BSNL has witnessed a substantial rise over the past 8 years, climbing from Rs 59 in 2016 to Rs 211. This increase has been accompanied by a significant rise in data consumption, which has surged from 0.3GB in 2014 to 19.3GB.
Users landscape
TRAI's report also shed light on the changing landscape of user acquisition, with Reliance Jio adding 19.5 lakh new users in June 2024, while Airtel followed closely with 12.5 lakh new users. In contrast, Vi and BSNL experienced a decline in user numbers, with Vi losing 8.61 lakh users. As of now, Jio boasts the highest user base with 47.6 crore users, followed by Airtel with 38.90 crore users and Vi with 21.72 crore users. The user base of BSNL has diminished to 8.55 crores.
Meanwhile, India saw an increase of 73 million internet subscribers and 78 million broadband subscribers in just one year, bringing the total number of telephone subscribers in the country to 1.199 billion. This update was provided by the Centre. The overall number of internet subscribers rose from 881 million at the end of March 2023 to 954 million by the end of March this year, representing an 8.3 percent annual growth.
ALSO READ: TRAI revolutionizes mobile services: compensation for network interruptions now guaranteed
