Internet user base rises 3.4 pc to 743 mn at Mar-end, Jio commands over 52 pc market: Trai data

Reliance Jio led the chart grabbing 52.3 percent of the overall market share, followed by Bharti Airtel (23.6 percent share) in the quarter ended March 2020. Vodafone Idea held the third position as its internet subscriber base market share was at 18.7 percent, for the period in reference.

"A total number of internet subscribers increased from 718.74 million at the end of December 2019 to 743.19 million at the end of March 2020, registering a quarterly growth rate of 3.40 percent," the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) said in its report. In this, the number of wireless internet subscribers stood at 720.7 million (97 percent share of overall pie) and wired internet subscribers were 22.4 million.

A whopping 92.5 percent of overall internet subscribers used broadband for internet access -- the internet subscriber base comprised 687.4 million broadband users and 55.7 million narrowband subscribers. "The broadband internet subscriber base increased by 3.85 percent from 661.94 million at the end of December 2019 to 687.44 million at the end of March 2020," said the Trai report titled 'Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicators, January-March, 2020'. Internet access with a minimum capacity of 512 kilobits per second or more is defined as broadband connectivity, while narrowband refers to net access with lesser speed.

Wireless internet subscribers increased to 720.7 million at the end of March 2020, a quarter-on-quarter growth rate of 3.51 percent. "Out of total internet subscribers, 96.90 percent of subscribers are using mobile devices for access to internet service. Wired internet subscribers are only 3.02 percent in total internet subscribers at the end of March 20," Trai said.

Of the overall 22.42 million wired internet subscribers, state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) held a 50.3 percent market share with 11.27 million subscribers, followed by Bharti Airtel with 2.47 million subscribers. In the wireless internet segment, Reliance Jio held a 53.76 percent market share, followed by Bharti Airtel (24 percent) of wireless internet subscribers in the quarter ended March 20, it said. The top five service areas in terms of internet subscriptions (wired and wireless) were Maharashtra (63.01 million), Andhra Pradesh including Telangana (58.65 million), UP (East) (54.60 million), Tamil Nadu including Chennai (51.64 million), and Madhya Pradesh including Chhattisgarh (48.72 million), it said.