Bharti Airtel, India’s leading telecommunications service provider, is making significant strides in adding wireless subscribers in most of its telecom circles throughout the country. According to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) Telecom Subscription Data as of March 31, 2023, released on May 22, 2023, Bharti Airtel has gained wireless subscribers in 19 out of the 22 telecom circles in India.
Among the circles where Airtel has seen notable growth in wireless subscribers are Assam, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Goa, and Rajasthan. These impressive numbers underscore Airtel’s position as a top favourite among users in those regions. On the other hand, Airtel lost wireless subscribers only in the circles of Gujarat, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh West. However, Airtel is leading in the Karnataka circle, with over 30 million wireless subscribers.
Airtel’s commitment to customer satisfaction and its focus on maintaining an active user base are reflected in its impressive VLR (Visitor Location Register) percentage of 99.63, which is the highest in the industry. The VLR percentage represents the proportion of active mobile users within a specific network’s coverage area.
This growth in wireless subscribers is not a one-time occurrence for Airtel. The company has been consistently adding overall wireless subscribers for over 15 consecutive months. As of March 31, 2023, Airtel’s wireless subscriber base stands at over 370,910,873, with a net addition of 1,037,802 subscribers in the same month. Airtel’s focus on reaching rural areas is evident, as its rural subscriber base stands at 179,789,840, which is also growing.
Airtel 5G Network Rollouts
In addition to its expanding subscriber base, Airtel has been making significant progress in its 5G network rollout. Presently, Airtel’s 5G network covers over 3,500 cities and towns out of the 7,000 across India, with nearly 35 to 40 cities being added each day. The company aims to achieve complete urban coverage and expand into key rural areas by the end of the year.
Airtel is targeting the top 150 cities, which represent 80 percent of the market, in order to accelerate its postpaid user base. To cater to nuclear families, Airtel introduced the 599 plan, which has gained considerable traction.
Airtel’s market leadership is evident in various significant circles, including Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, North East, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh East. The company is also closing the gap in the Delhi circle, positioning itself to secure the first spot.
Despite Airtel’s revision of its entry-level Unlimited tariff to Rs 155 across all telecom circles, the company has continued to add wireless subscribers. This suggests that customers value the services and offerings provided by Airtel.
Furthermore, Airtel has achieved notable milestones in its 5G network. It has surpassed the 2 million customer mark in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, as well as celebrated 2 million users on its 5G network in Mumbai. In February 2023, Airtel also announced that it had surpassed 10 million unique users on its 5G network. Among telcos, Airtel is the only one openly announcing its 5G subscriber numbers as of date.
Airtel’s commitment to technological advancements is evident in its deployment of AI-powered speech analytics solutions in customer service with Nvidia. The company’s contact center operations, which handle over 100 million calls annually, benefit from automated speech recognition algorithms on 84 percent of incoming calls. This technology enables Airtel to identify areas of improvement in agent-consumer interactions, resulting in enhanced customer experiences.
Airtel continues to be at the forefront of India’s telecommunications industry, with its continual growth in wireless subscribers, expansion of 5G services, and integration of AI and ML technologies. By delivering personalized and innovative solutions, Airtel is ensuring a seamless and satisfactory experience for its customers.
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