SMS Usage and ARPU slides – Telecom Industry Qtrly Report

Image via Wikipedia

TRAI has released the quarterly report (ending June 2008) and here is a summary (useful data that you would need):

• 93 GSM and 44 CDMA Licensees
• Wireless subscriber base @ 286.87 million as on 30th June 2008 (as against 261.07 million subscribers in the previous quarter) – 25.80 million wireless subscribers added in the june qtr.
• 212.51 million GSM subscribers (74.08%) – prev qtr, 192.70 million
• 74.36 million CDMA subscribers (25.92%) at the end of June 2008, prev qtr : 68.37 million
• Teledensity: 28.33%
• The gross revenue of the sector has declined 1.3 % during the period.
• Private sector contributes ~69% of the revenue.

What’s interesting to note is that even though telcos are adding ~9mn subscribers a month, average revenue of the sector is declining.

ARPU/Usage Pattern (MoU)

• All India blended ARPU per month has declined by 9.3% from Rs. 264/- in March 2008 to Rs. 239/- in June 2008.

• All India blended ARPU (per month) for the quarter ending June 2008 is Rs.139/- as compared to Rs. 159/- for the quarter ending March 2008 registering a decrease of 12.57%.
• Total MOU per subscriber has increased from 493/-in March 2008 to 505/- in June 2008 – Outgoing MoU has increased
• For postpaid and prepaid, Metros continue to have lowest outgoing MOU per subscriber as compared to other circle categories.

SMS Usage

Outgoing SMS per subscriber continued to decline.

GSM: Rate of decline has doubled to 14.5% in the quarter under review from a 7% decline in the quarter ending March 2008.

CDMA: Rate of decline: 15.9%

Internet:

• 11.66 million Internet subscribers at the end of June 2008 as compared to 11.09 million at the end of March 2008 registering a growth of 5.09%. This growth rate is less than the growth rate of 7.08% at the end of March 2008.
  
• There are 75.97 million wireless data subscribers at the end of June 2008 (capable of accessing data services including internet through mobile handsets (GSM/ CDMA)).

– so essentially, 15% Internet enabled phone users fall under ‘subscriber’ category!

• Broadband subscribers – 4.38 million at the end of June 2008 as compared to 3.87 million at the end of March 2008 (growth rate @ 13.18%)
  • Out of total 4.38 million broadband subscribers, 3.72 million are DSL based; 0.42 million Cable Modem; 0.11 million Ethernet LAN; 0.045 million Fiber; 0.057 million Radio, Leased Line 0.018 million and 0.005 million use other technologies.

Misc

• 236 FM Radio stations in operation. (31 added in the qtr)
• 6 private DTH licensees
• 49 Community Radio Station licensee

Revenue:

Revenue Split for GSM:

• Rental : 23%
• Revenue from Call charges: 60.5%
• Revenue from SMS: 2.1%
• Roaming Revenue: 6.3%
• Other : 8.1%

Gross Revenue of the Telecom Service Sector for the Ist Quarter (April – June 2008) of the financial year 2008-09 was Rs.35311 Crores as against Rs.35770 Crores for the previous quarter – decrease of 1.30%.

Download the report

What’s your take on these numbers? Do they show a healthy sign?

Recommended Read: Mobile VAS Numbers (that you should know)

Get complete coverage of Indian Telecom Industry