In Short:
In the financial year 2022-23, revenue from wireless data services in India increased by 22% to Rs 1.74 lakh crore, as reported by Trai. The growth was driven by an increase in the user base, with telecom operators yet to monetize 5G services. Overall, telecom service provider revenue increased by 19.94% to over Rs 3.33 lakh crore. The total telephone subscriber base also increased to 117.2 crore.
Wireless Data Usage Revenue Sees Significant Increase in India
According to a report by telecom regulator Trai, revenue from wireless data services in India saw a substantial growth of about 22% to reach Rs 1.74 lakh crore in the financial year 2022-23. This marks a significant increase from the Rs 1.43 lakh crore revenue generated in the previous financial year.
Key Highlights:
- Total revenue from wireless data increased by 21.63% year-on-year.
- The rise in revenue was attributed to the growth in user base, as 5G data services launched in October 2022 are yet to be monetized.
- Gross revenue of telecom service providers increased by 19.94% to over Rs 3.33 lakh crore in FY’23.
- Adjusted gross revenue (AGR) increased by 14.17% to Rs 2.49 lakh crore.
- Government collections from license fees grew by 13.2% to Rs 19,954 crore.
- Yearly spectrum usage charges decreased by 29.75% to Rs 4,968 crore.
- Total telephone subscriber base reached 117.2 crore.
Tele-Density Details:
While there was a 1% increase in telephone subscriptions in urban areas, the overall tele-density in India declined slightly. The tele-density in rural areas also saw a decrease.
Rural telephone subscription decreased by 0.23% to 51.86 crore, with rural tele-density declining from 58.07% to 57.71%.
