Airtel Rides Pandemic-Induced Subscriber Gain
Bharti Airtel posted quarterly gains on Wednesday as the Indian telco added more subscribers and saw higher data usage during the coronavirus-led work-from-home trend.
With the December quarter earnings, India’s second-largest telecom operator has snapped a six-quarter losing streak during which the company has seen growth in market share even as it grappled with a tariff war and demands to pay huge government fees.
Airtel’s subscriber base in India grew to 336.2 million, with the company adding 12.9 million 4G subscribers during the last three months of 2020 to reach 165.6 million.
The telco has been gaining subscribers in recent months, with analysts noting that the company has also seen gains in some of the key markets of losing rival Vodafone Idea.
The average revenue per user for the quarter increased 23 percent to Rs. 166.
Airtel’s consolidated earnings for the three months ended December 31 were Rs. 854 crore for a loss of Rs. Rs 1,035 crore in the prior-year period.
Consolidated revenue from the company’s operations increased 24.2 percent to Rs. Rs 26,500 crore in earnings on subscriber base and higher fees.
She is a freelance blogger, writer, and speaker, and writes for various entertainment magazines.