Muted ringtone: Telecom revenue slips for 3rd straight year in FY19

But analysts expect FY20 to fare better as costs will stabilise

The telecom sector will witness the third consecutive year of revenue decline despite consolidation in the industry. This is because operators continue to face intense pricing pressure. 

The industry as a whole has not managed to raise average revenue per user (ARPU) to sustainable levels and the capex and debt burden of operators have spiralled out of control, said analysts.

Analysts expect the sector’s revenue to dip by 7 per cent in FY19 over the previous year, while earnings before interest, depreciation, tax and amortisation or Ebitda would decline by around 18 per cent. Ebitda is an indicator of a