Lok Sabha Question No. 4249 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-21
Subject: Reduction in Number of Telecom Subscribers
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: K. MARAGATHAM

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.4249 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21 ST     MARCH, 2018

## REDUCTION IN NUMBER OF TELECOM SUBSCRIBERS

4249. SHRIMATI K. MARAGATHAM:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the number of telecom subscribers has reduced by 1.58 crore to 118.5 crore in November, 2017 and if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise;
- (b) whether the said decline was on account of closure of mobile services by some of the Telecom Service Providers (TSPs); and
- (c) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE (IC) OF THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS & MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS (SHRI MANOJ SINHA)

- (a) to (c) The  number  of  telephone  subscribers  as  on  31 st October,  2017  was 120.21 crore.   The figure as on  30 th   November, 2017  was  118.62  crore. The  service area wise details of telephone subscribers as on 31.10.2017 and 30.11.2017 are given at Annexure.

The decline of 1.59 crore subscribers was pre-dominantly due to shutdown of 2G services by Reliance Communications  Limited in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh (West), Uttar Pradesh (East), Haryana and Tamil  Nadu  circles.  Other  operators  which  also  saw  a  decline  in  subscriber  base  in November 2017 are TATA Teleservices Ltd., Aircel, Sistema Shyam Teleservices Ltd. and Telenor.

Contd…2/-

## Annexure

## Service Area wise net addition in total telephones as on 31 st October 2017 and 30th November, 2017

| S.No   | Service Area           |   31.10.2017 |   30.11.2017 | Net monthly addition   |
|--------|------------------------|--------------|--------------|------------------------|
| 1      | ANDHRA PRADESH         |     87086394 |     85554275 | (-)1532119             |
| 2      | ASSAM                  |     22446787 |     22628613 | 181826                 |
| 3      | BIHAR                  |     83996529 |     84349504 | 352975                 |
| 4      | GUJARAT                |     70986510 |     71341140 | 354630                 |
| 5      | HARYANA                |     25804833 |     25371676 | (-)433157              |
| 6      | HIMACHAL PRADESH       |     10927164 |     11072818 | 145654                 |
| 7      | JAMMU & KASHMIR        |     12942063 |     13117245 | 175182                 |
| 8      | KARNATAKA              |     72362860 |     68994791 | (-)3368069             |
| 9      | KERALA                 |     43488968 |     42803499 | (-)685469              |
| 10     | MADHYA PRADESH         |     72676649 |     73767190 | 1090541                |
| 11     | MAHARASHTRA            |     96025422 |     94992139 | (-)1033283             |
| 12     | NORTH-EAST             |     13049461 |     12956932 | (-)92529               |
| 13     | ORISSA                 |     34205373 |     34260457 | 55084                  |
| 14     | PUNJAB                 |     38566472 |     38916624 | 350152                 |
| 15     | RAJASTHAN              |     66377083 |     66273505 | (-)103578              |
| 16     | TAMIL NADU             |     92963231 |     89244288 | (-)3718943             |
| 17     | UTTAR PRADESH - [East] |    104702650 |    101005790 | (-)3696860             |
| 18     | UTTAR PRADESH - [West] |     66644582 |     62593678 | (-)4050904             |
| 19     | WEST BENGAL            |     58669414 |     58332814 | (-)336600              |
| 20     | KOLKATA                |     29867558 |     29764672 | (-)102886              |
| 21     | DELHI                  |     57794281 |     57958728 | 164447                 |
| 22     | MUMBAI                 |     40524089 |     40924491 | 400402                 |
|        | TOTAL                  |   1202108373 |   1186224869 | (-)15883504            |

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