GSM user base jumps 225% in '05 to touch 58.5 mn

The GSM subscriber base in the country has recorded a 225 per cent jump in the calendar year to finish at 58.51 million in December, 2005.

December also registered a 5.79 per cent growth with the addition of 3.29 million new subscribers. This also marks the highest ever GSM additions since the inception of these services, according to figures from the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI).

According to COAI, December's growth was 38 per cent higher than the growth recorded in the previous month, when 2.3 million subscribers were added.

Besides, December's additions is double the average subscriber growth (1.6 million) recorded in the previous 11 months of the calendar year 2005, COAI added.

Bharti continued to be the leading player with a subscriber base of 16.33 million, of which 0.92 million were added in December, and a market share of a little over a quarter at 27.91 per cent, while the state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam is ranked second with 14.30 million customers and 24.44 per cent market share. BSNL added about 1.01 million subscribers in December.

Hutch was the third largest player with a subscriber base of 11.41 million and a market share of 19.50 per cent followed by IDEA, BPL and Aircel.

The three leading operators "�Bharti, BSNL and Hutch have registered 5.97 per cent, 7.60 per cent and 6.84 per cent growth respectively in December, when compared to their subscriber figures in the previous month.

As per the CAOI figures, category C circles continued to witness the highest rate of growth at 10.07 per cent "� much higher as compared to metros and A & B Circles. Category B circles recorded a growth of 6.18 per cent, while category A circles and the metros witnessed a growth of 5.80 per cent and 3.71 per cent respectively.

Amongst all circles, the North East Circle registered the maximum growth at 12.99 per cent, followed by Andaman and Nicobar at 12.06 per cent , Assam at 10.98 per cent, Orissa at 10.83 per cent, Kerala at 10.11 per cent and Rajasthan at 9.35 per cent, CAOI said.

While Delhi and Mumbai continue to dominate in terms of both total volume and market share amongst the metros, the rate of growth recorded was highest for Chennai at 4.26 per cent, followed by Kolkata at 3.69 per cent, the association added.