In May 2023, Reliance Jio, India’s leading telecom operator, made significant strides in the wireline segment by adding the highest number of subscribers. According to the monthly telecom performance report released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), Reliance Jio successfully welcomed 3,25,336 new wireline subscribers during the month. This achievement comes at a time when the overall wireline subscriber base witnessed a marginal decline from 29.39 million in the previous month to 29.36 million, resulting in a net loss of approximately 0.02 million users.
Jio’s remarkable performance can be attributed to its brand, JioFiber, which has emerged as a formidable force in the wireline market. The company added an impressive 0.32 million or 3,25,336 wireline users in May 2023. While Reliance Jio held the pole position, its fierce competitor, Bharti Airtel, also made substantial progress by gaining 0.12 million or 1,25,586 wireline users during the same period.
Apart from Jio and Airtel, other players also contributed to the growth of the wireline market. Tata Tele added 17,349 users, Quadrant added 6453 users, and V-Con Mob & Infra Pvt Ltd welcomed 99 new subscribers.
However, the report indicated that certain players experienced a decline in their wireline subscriber base. Vodafone Idea (Vi), Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), Reliance Communications, and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) faced challenges in retaining wireline users during May 2023.
In terms of market share, Jio and Airtel emerged as the dominant players with 33.18% and 25.12%, respectively. BSNL secured the third-largest market share with 22.26%, followed by MTNL in the fourth position with 7.79%.
It is worth noting that the growth of the wireline market is not as rapid as that of wireless mobile services. One of the primary reasons for this disparity is the pricing factor, as wireline broadband services tend to be relatively more expensive on a month-to-month basis compared to wireless mobile services. Additionally, the availability of fiber internet services poses a significant limitation to the expansion of the wireline market.
Across the nation, internet service providers (ISPs) are making efforts to offer fiber internet services to customers. However, the deployment and maintenance of fiber infrastructure throughout the country remain a challenging task for them. Despite these challenges, the wireline subscriber segment is expected to grow steadily in the coming months.
As the competition in the telecom sector intensifies and ISPs continue to invest in infrastructure, it is anticipated that more users will explore wireline broadband options. The pursuit of providing high-speed and reliable internet connectivity will shape the future landscape of the wireline market in India.
