India cell operators add 3.9 mn mobile users in April

NEW DELHI: India, the world's fastest growing wireless market, added 3.9 million GSM and CDMA mobile users in April, down from 5.14 million new connections in March.

Overall, Asia's third-largest economy, saw its mobile user base soar to 94.44 million, more than the combined population of Germany and Greece.

The Association of Unified Telecom Service Providers of India said on Thursday five CDMA networks added 974,360 users in April. On Monday, the Cellular Operators Association, which represents eight GSM carriers, said 2.93 million users signed up.

The cheapest call rates in the world - as low as 2-3 U.S. cents a minute for a local call - are luring millions of customers. Falling handset costs, and lifetime prepaid packages are also fuelling growth.

Despite the expansion, less than 10 percent of India's billion-plus population has access to mobile services as networks are still concentrated in cities. Carriers are now expanding into untapped rural areas, where more than two-thirds of the population live.

India's top mobile services firm, Bharti Airtel Ltd., added 1.1 million GSM users in April.

Bharti, in which Singapore Telecommunications has a 30.84 percent stake, and Britain's Vodafone Group Plc a 10 percent holding, now has a customer base of 20.68 million wireless customers, the Cellular Operators' Association said.

Second-ranked Reliance Communications Ventures Ltd., which offers both CDMA and GSM-based services, added 502,250 new users, taking its user base to 18.8 million.

Third-ranked state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. enrolled 430,000 new customers, raising its mobile base to 17.15 million.

The association said Hutchison Essar Ltd., ranked fourth in terms of mobile users, added 700,000 new names, boosting its customer base to 16.06 million.