In the October-December quarter of 2022, telecom operators in India witnessed a significant surge in their adjusted gross revenue (AGR), which grew by an impressive 14% to reach Rs 62,904 crore compared to the same period in the previous year. This growth comes as the government's collection from spectrum usage charges (SUC) experienced a substantial decline, reducing to Rs 811 crore, a decrease of over 50%.
According to the latest performance indicator report released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), telecom service providers paid Rs 1,760 crore as spectrum usage charges in the December 2021 quarter. The total AGR, which serves as the basis for calculating license fees and SUC, for telecom service providers amounted to Rs 55,151 crore during the December 2021 quarter.
Reliance Jio, the leading telecom service provider, emerged as the market leader in terms of AGR, recording an impressive figure of Rs 22,586.32 crore. Meanwhile, Bharti Airtel achieved the most substantial growth, with its AGR reaching Rs 18,290 crore, representing a remarkable growth rate of 26.27% on a year-on-year (YoY) basis.
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The gross revenue of telecom service providers witnessed a notable YoY increase of 26.5% during the reported quarter, rising to Rs 88,166 crore from Rs 69,695 crore in the corresponding quarter of 2021.
The report further highlights that the access service providers, including Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea, BSNL, and others, contributed to a significant portion of the overall AGR of telecom services, accounting for 81.11%.
Moreover, the all-Indian blended average revenue per user (ARPU), a crucial metric for measuring the growth of telecommunications companies, witnessed a robust year-on-year increase of 23.63%, amounting to Rs 141.4 per month.
The performance of telecom operators in India demonstrates the industry's resilience and growth, marked by a substantial increase in AGR and gross revenue. Reliance Jio's market leadership and Bharti Airtel's impressive growth highlight the intense competition and innovation driving the sector forward.
