News Headline
Broadband rose 8.3 per cent till June 16; teledensity fell in urban, hike in rural
MUMBAI: The number of telephone subscribers in India increased from 1,058.86 million at the end of Mar-16 to 1,059.86 million at the end of Jun-16, registering a growth of 0.09% over the previous quarter. This reflects year-on-year (Y-O-Y) growth of 5.25% over the same quarter of last year. The overall Teledensity in India declined from 83.36 as on 31 March, 2016 to 83.20 as on 30 June, 2016, according to TRAI statistics.
Trends in Telephone subscribers and Teledensity in India: Subscription in Urban Areas declined from 609.69 million at the end of Mar-16 to 609.45 million at the end of Jun-16, and Urban Teledensity also declined from 154.01 to 153.22. However, Rural subscription increased from 449.17 million to 450.41 million and Rural Teledensity also increased from 51.37 to 51.41 during the same period.
Of the total subscription, the share of Rural subscription increased from 42.42% at the end of Mar-16 to 42.50% at the end of Jun-16.
Composition of Telephone Subscribers: With a net addition of 1.49 million subscribers during the quarter, total wireless (GSM+CDMA) subscriber base increased from 1,033.63 million at the end of Mar-16 to 1,035.12 million at the end of Jun-16, registering a growth rate of 0.14% over the previous quarter. The year-on-year (Y-O-Y) growth rate of wireless subscribers for Jun-16 is 5.54%.
Wireless Tele-density declined from 81.38 at the end of Mar-16 to 81.26 at the end of Jun-16, according to TRAI statistics.
Wireline subscriber base further declined from 25.22 million at the end of Mar-16 to 24.74 million at the end of Jun-16, registering a quarterly decline rate of 1.90%. The year-on-year (Y-O-Y) decline rate in wireline subscribers for Jun-16 is 5.38%.
Wireline Teledensity declined from 1.99 at the end of Mar-16 to 1.94 at the end of Jun-16.
Total number of Internet subscribers increased from 342.65 million at the end of Mar-16 to 350.48 million at the end of Jun-16, registering a quarterly growth rate of 2.28%. Out of 350.48 million, Wired Internet subscribers are 20.76 million and Wireless Internet subscribers are 329.72 million. Composition of internet subscription.
The Internet subscriber base of 350.48 million at the end of Jun- 16 comprises Broadband Internet subscriber base of 162.06 million and Narrowband Internet subscriber base of 188.42
million.
The broadband Internet subscriber base grew by 8.22% from 149.75 million at the end of Mar-16 to 162.06 million at the end of Jun-16. On the other hand, the narrowband Internet subscriber
base declined by 2.32% from 192.90 million at the end of Mar-16 to 188.42 million at the end of Jun-16.
Monthly Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) for GSM service increased by 0.96%, from `125 in QE Mar-16 to `126 in QE Jun-16. Monthly ARPU for GSM service grew by 0.09% on Y-O-Y in this
quarter, according to TRAI statistics.
Prepaid ARPU for GSM service per month increased from `107 in QE Mar-16 to `108 in QE Jun-16, and Postpaid ARPU per month increased from `488 in QE Mar-16 to `495 in QE Jun-16.
On an all India average, the overall MOU per subscriber per month for GSM service declined by 1.07% from 381 for QE Mar-16 to 377 in QE Jun-16.
Prepaid MOU per subscriber for GSM service declined from 356 in QE Mar-16 to 351 in QE Jun-16, and postpaid MOU declined from 892 in QE Mar-16 to 889 in QE Jun-16.
Monthly ARPU for CDMA full mobility service declined by 4.86%, from `103.50 in QE Mar-16 to `98.51 in QE Jun-16. Monthly ARPU for CDMA full mobility service declined by 7.95% on Y-O-Y
basis in this quarter.
The total MOU per subscriber per month for CDMA full mobility service declined by 12.54%, from 260 in QE Mar-16 to 228 in QE Jun-16. The outgoing MOUs declined from 150 in QE Mar-16 to
130 in QE Jun-16, and incoming MOUs also declined from 110 in QE Mar-16 to 98 in QE Jun-16, according to TRAI statistics.
Gross Revenue (GR) and Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) of Telecom Service Sector for the QE Jun-16 has been `73,344 Crore and `53,383 Crore respectively. GR and AGR increased by 7.33% and 10.34% respectively in QE Jun-16 as compared to previous quarter.
The year-on-year (Y-O-Y) growth in GR and AGR over the same quarter in last year has been 12.79% and 13.26% respectively.
Pass-through charges increased from `19,956 Crore in Q.E. Mar- 16 to `19,961 in Q.E. Jun-16. The quarterly and the year-on-year (Y-O-Y) growth rates of pass-through charges for QE Jun-16 are 0.03% and 11.54% respectively.
The License Fee increased from `3,872 Crore for the QE Mar-16 to `4,314 Crore for the QE Jun-16. The quarterly and the year-onyear (Y-O-Y) growth rates of license fee are 11.43% and 14.05%
respectively in this quarter.
Access services contributed 83.84% of the total Adjusted Gross Revenue of telecom services. In Access services, Gross Revenue (GR), Adjusted Gross Revenue(AGR), License Fee and Spectrum Usage Charges(SUC) increased by 9.20%, 12.21%, 13.55% and 12.42% respectively whereas, Pass Through Charges declined by 0.67% in QE Jun-16, according to TRAI statistics.
Monthly Average Revenue per User (ARPU) for Access Services based on AGR increased from `126.91 in QE Mar-16 to `140.88 in QE Jun-16.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
