Broadband Penetration And Data Tariffs Continue To Rise In India

The number of internet subscribers has been increased by 59 percent in June as against 58 percent from May 2020. The increase in broadband penetration and in data tariffs indicates that the industry is moving towards higher average revenue per user regime.

According to the India Rating report, data tariffs increased by Rs. 11.2 per GB from Rs. 8.5 per GB in the third quarter of FY20."The tariff differentials for the prepaid and postpaid tariff plans among the telcos are already narrowing down over the past one year and the recently announced postpaid tariff plans by Reliance Jio Infocomm also indicate the inclination of the largest player in the industry towards a higher ARPU regime in the long run," India Ratings and Research said in a report.

Airtel's Reported Highest Growth in Broadband Subscribers and Strong Growth in VLR Subscriber Base

In order to increase their user base, JioFiber and Airtel Xstream have announced the launch of new broadband plans in the country. Both, broadband players have launched affordable plans that start from Rs. 399. However, the report pointed out that Airtel is leading in terms of market position. It said that the Airtel subscriber base increased by 3.7 million in June 2020, which means 5.3 million users in total.

"Bharti Airtel Limited has maintained its strong market position in the industry in terms of its active customer base and high ARPU data customers in June 2020," the report added. Coming to the broadband plans, JioFiber's first plan is available at Rs. 399 is offering 30 Mbps speed, 3300GB data, and unlimited calls. The plan is now offering access to any OTT apps. On the other hand, the Airtel plan of Rs. 499 is providing 40 Mbps speed, unlimited STD, and local calling. This includes access to Wynk Music, Airtel Xstream, DTH box with a one-month pack.