4G subscriber base seen rising to ~820 million this fiscal despite the second Covid-19 wave
India’s wireless-telecom subscriber base rebounded to ~1.159 billion in January 2021 – similar to pre-pandemic levels – after dialling down to ~1.140 billion in June 2020 following a massive churn during the lockdown, which saw reverse migration causing a labour crisis.
The pandemic also slowed 4G subscriber additions to ~12 million in the June 2020 quarter, with smartphone shipments probing new lows. There was recovery in the quarters that followed, but growth in 4G subscriber additions remain below the pre-pandemic rate. However, the March 2021 quarter would have been better because India’s 4G subscriber base is expected to have risen to 710-720 million in fiscal 2021.
