Top telcos' GSM mobile customers base hits 774 mn: COAI

The GSM subscriber base of leading telecom operators in the country reached 773.92 million in March-end, with telecom major Airtel adding maximum number of customers, according to COAI.

"Total number of GSM subscriber as of March 2015 reached 773.92 million. The GSM subscriber base increased by 5.23 million in March 2015," the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) data showed today.

The report includes subscriber details of seven companies Airtel, Vodafone, Idea, Aircel, Telenor, Videocon and MTNL.

BSNL, Tata Teleservices and Reliance Communications, who also provide GSM technology-based services, are not part of the report.

As per data, UP East continued to dominate the telecom circle with miximum number of GSM subscribers at 69.9 million, while the highest number of new customers were added in Bihar circle (includes Jharkhand).

During the month, Airtel added 2.55 million new customers, widening its subscriber base to 251.24 million, followed by Vodafone that added 1.2 million customers to reach 197.95 million.

Telenor, which operates only in six circles, added more customers during the month than Idea Cellular and Aircel.

Telenor added 0.78 million new customers, while Idea added 0.45 million users and Aircel 0.4 million.

State-owned PSU firm MTNL, which operates in Delhi and Mumbai, added 0.01 million new subscribers.

Videocon, which recently sold its spectrum to Airtel, lost 0.16 million customers.