Research firm, iSuppli Corp., expects the Indian
cell phone market to triple over the next three
years, as mobile handsets become increasingly
accessible in rural areas of the south Asian
country.The number of Indian wireless subscribers
nearly doubled last year alone, reaching 149.5
million by the end of December, and with 5.5 million
new customers signing up every month, subscriber
numbers are expected to reach 484 million in 2011.
“A rise in percapita income, the arrival of
lessexpensive phones, declines in tariffs,
proindustry and proconsumer regulations enacted by
the government and a host of other factors have been
instrumental in driving this growth,” explained
iSuppli director and principal analyst, Dr. Jagdish
Rebello.
The Average Revenue Per User (APRU) of Indian
carriers averaged out to around $7/month in 2006,
but is expected to drop below $5 by 2010, as
penetration increases in poor rural areas. Mobile
data services like GPRS and EDGE will see a gradual
increase in popularity, but are not expected to have
much impact on APRU in the short term.