NEW DELHI: In a positive development for telecom service provider Vodafone Idea Limited (VIL), the company has recorded its lowest subscriber loss in August 2023 compared to the past few years. As per the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the country’s third-largest telco reported a decline of only 49,782 subscribers in August 2023. This marks the lowest decline in its subscriber base in the past few years, signaling a potential improvement in the company’s subscriber retention.
The company has lost a significant portion of its market share to its competitors, Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, in the past one year. In August 2022, the market share of Vodafone Idea was 22.03%, but it has now come down to 19.88%. Both Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel added 3.24 million and 1.21 million respectively in August 2023.
The cash-strapped telco’s loss of subscribers is attributed to its failure to invest in its network and rollout of 4G services in the country. The inadequate network quality is one of the key factors that prompted its subscribers to switch to other networks. As per the TRAI data, Vodafone Idea faced its highest consumer loss in September 2022 when the company shed a staggering 4 million customers. Subsequently, the trend continued with a loss of 3.56 million customers in October 2022, 1.82 million in both November and December 2022, and 1.35 million in January 2023.
In 2023, the company experienced the highest customer loss in April, around 2.99 million, followed by 2.81 million in May, 1.28 million in June, and 1.32 million in July. These numbers suggest that the period of significant customer loss for the telco may be over, and the company could be focusing on stabilising its customer base. The stability appears to be linked to the plans and offers that the company provided to its users.
VIL loses only 49,782 subscribers in August
As per the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the country’s third-largest telco reported a decline of only 49,782 subscribers in August 2023. This marks the lowest decline in its subscriber base in the past few years, signaling a potential improvement in the company’s subscriber retention