500mn Subscribers In India, One Year Early

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) reports that 15.23mn new wireless and wireline subscribers were added in September 2009, taking overall subscriber numbers to a staggering 509.03mn and penetration of basic services to 43.5%. Most significant, however, is the crossing of the 500mn subscriber mark. This had been the ambitious goal set by the government for the end of 2010. The fact that it has been surpassed 15 months ahead of schedule speaks volumes about the pace of growth seen in the country's mobile sector in recent years, while demand for fixed lines continues to fall.

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