In the last week of June, following the government's latest round of 5G spectrum auctions, which fetched the government's coffers just over USD 1.3 billion, each of the three telecom operators-Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio, and Vodafone Idea-raised their respective tariffs across all prepaid and postpaid services for consumers.
The tariff hikes triggered by the three ranges between 10% and 25%, a fairly substantial amount. Even as consumers expressed displeasure, the three companies argued that raising the tariffs was key to increasing the average revenue per user and, in turn, ramping up profitability.
Before proceeding further, it is important to understand why telcos have repeatedly stated that a new tariff is important for their financial health. India's telecom operators have long complained about a highly predatory market that made the country one of the least expensive geographies in terms of the overall cost of data.
The formal launch of Reliance Jio in 2016 mostly changed how telecom plans were priced, removing charges and limits on outgoing voice calls and drastically lowering the cost of mobile data.
This led to a boom in the user base of India's telecom operators, coupled with consolidation of telecom operators. Data published monthly by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) indicates that India had 1.01 billion mobile network connections as of the end of 2015, before the advent of Reliance Jio.
Bharti Airtel had the biggest market share in a market with 12 recognised telecom service providers (TSPs), with over 243 million users. Vodafone India and Idea Cellular were the next biggest TSPs, with 193 million and 172 million users, respectively.
Denne historien er fra July 2024-utgaven av Voice and Data.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra July 2024-utgaven av Voice and Data.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Businesses in a quandary as India battles mobile spam
TRAI's new SMS regulations target spam but could disrupt legitimate business communications, while OTT platforms like WhatsApp remain difficult to regulate
Coca-Cola cloud brings a golden harvest for Infosys
Infosys is set to significantly benefit from Coca-Cola and Microsoft's cloud alliance, highlighting India's pivotal role in enabling digital transformation worldwide
India's cosmic odyssey: Reaching for the Moon and beyond
India's space ambitions extend beyond Chandrayaan-3, with plans for lunar sample returns, a national space station, and cutting-edge launch vehicles
SMEs scale new heights with cloud
Cloud technology empowers Indian SMEs in BFSI with scalability, innovation, and security, enabling them to compete with larger firms and drive growth
Not a chip off the same block
eSIMs are reshaping connectivity with seamless switching, enhanced security, and loT integration while navigating challenges in adoption and regulation
Powering 'Tech Olympics' in Paris
How the Paris 2024 Olympics redefined global sports, blending Al, 5G, and digital twins to set new standards and pave the way for the future of sporting events
"5G has consistently influenced complementary technologies"
With over 34 years of experience in the IT services industry, Dinesh Rao currently serves as the Executive Vice President and Co-Head - Delivery at Infosys.
"AI applications and hybrid work models are drivers of SASE adoption"
With extensive experience in leading product management for Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SDWAN), and Security Service Edge (SSE) solutions across various enterprises, Andrew Winney currently serves as the General Manager and Global Head of SASE Business at Tata Communications.
TELECOM'S GREEN SIGNAL FOR GROWTH
As technology leads India's sustainable transition, innovations like 5G and green energy are paving the way for inclusive growth and environmental stewardship
The BIG Leap
As Indian enterprises embrace 5G, they are driving innovation, unlocking new possibilities, and paving the way for the next industrial revolution