In the latest report released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on telecom subscription data, Vodafone Idea, one of India's telecom operators, faces yet another month of declining wireless subscribers. The data, as of February 28, 2023, shows that Vodafone Idea lost a staggering 2,001,388 subscribers, marking the 23rd consecutive month of decline for the telco.
Also Read: Vodafone Idea Continues Its Streak; Lost 1.3 Million Wireless Subscribers in Jan: TRAI
Over All Wireless Subscriber Base
The TRAI data highlights the overall decline in the Indian wireless subscriber base from 1,143.02 million in January 2023 to 1,141.96 million in February 2023, resulting in a monthly decline rate of 0.09%. Within this market, Vodafone Idea currently holds a market share of 20.84% in terms of wireless subscribers.
Vodafone Idea VLR Percentage
Vodafone Idea has the maximum proportion 87.55% of its active wireless subscribers (VLR) while the highest in the industry is 99.25%, which is of Bharti Airtel. The company witnessed a dip of 0.79 million active wireless subscribers during the reported period.
Also Read: Vodafone Idea Data and Voice Volumes Remain Low Despite Its Lucrative Offerings
Vodafone Idea Subscriber losing streak
The downward trend in Vodafone Idea's wireless subscribers has been consistent, with the company's customer count declining from 281,902,977 in April 2021 to 237,962,722 in February 2023, indicating a continued subscriber losing streak.
Notably, the five states in which Vodafone Idea experienced the highest loss of wireless subscribers are Bihar, Maharashtra and Goa, Uttar Pradesh East, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh, in that order.
Vodafone Idea Rural Wireless Subscribers
In addition to the decline in overall wireless subscribers, Vodafone Idea also saw a reduction of 1,258,965 rural wireless subscribers compared to the previous month, bringing the total rural subscriber count to 116,199,084 in February 2023.
No Vodafone Idea 5G
While Airtel and Jio are already rolling out 5G, Vodafone Idea has not yet unveiled its plan in this regard. This puts the company in a challenging position as it navigates the rapidly evolving telecom landscape with more and more subscribers experiencing 5G from competitors.
Also Read: Vodafone Idea Continues its 20 Month-Long Subscriber Losing Streak
Conclusion
The continuous decline in wireless subscribers brings Vodafone Idea one month closer to completing a two-year streak of losing customers. With the company's subscriber base steadily eroding over the past 23 months, it becomes crucial for Vodafone Idea to devise effective strategies to reverse this trend or stop the decline in subscriber base.
As the telecom industry and customers closely observe Vodafone Idea's efforts to address this decline, the company's future remains uncertain.
