GSM mobile operators in Orissa have recorded a 3.63 per cent decline in Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) in the January-March quarter of 2009-10.
The ARPU of the GSM operators in the Orissa telecom circle stood at Rs 118.37 in the said quarter compared to Rs 122.83 in the October-December period of the same fiscal, according to a report by the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI).
With an ARPU of Rs 118.37, Orissa ranks the second lowest, just above West Bengal (having an ARPU of Rs 106.70), among all the 23 telecom circles in the country. On a pan-India basis too, the ARPU dipped 3.45 per cent to Rs 150.23 in the January-March quarter compared to Rs 155.60 in the October-December quarter.
The fall in ARPUs of the mobile operators is attributed to the mobile tariff reaching the rock bottom and lesser usage of value added services.
Delhi and Mumbai circles continue to lead the pack with ARPUs of Rs 230.78 and Rs 226.05 respectively.
Amongst all the GSM operators in the Orissa circle, Idea Cellular has had the sharpest fall in ARPU.
The mobile operator recorded a 19.85 per cent decline in its ARPU for the January-March quarter at Rs 54.75 compared to Rs 68.30 in the previous quarter.
However, Vodafone Essar and Reliance Telecom achieved a positive growth of 11.3 per cent and 2.62 per cent respectively in their ARPUs in Orissa despite the overall decline in the overall per user revenue earnings of the circle.
