Telcos to gain as 2G user base shrinks, pin tariff hopes on 4G
NEWDELHI/MUMBAI: The loss of millions of 2G subscribers due to Covid-19 lockdowns is likely to help Bharti Airtel Ltd’s and Vodafone Idea Ltd’s bottom-lines as they will save significantly in fixed costs on servicing low-margin 2G users, analysts said. A fall in the number of low-paying 2G customers could, in fact, boost the average revenue per user (Arpu).
The lockdowns led to an exodus of workers from urban to rural India following job losses, resulting in a fall in the 2G subscriber base. Limited access to recharge centres also led to 2G service disruptions, as 4G customers prefer digital modes for recharge.
“We believe that the loss of subscribers may not hurt the telecom companies much. This could be due to two reasons—loss of customers mainly in the 2G space owing to labour migration, and not using dual SIM cards and moving to a single SIM,” said Sanimmediately jeev Hota, head of research, Sharekhan by BNP Paribas.
The bulk of the Arpu growth telcos are looking for will depend on their ability to transition from 2G/3G customers to the 4G ecosystem, with improved services leading to customer stickiness and higher revenue, said Rajiv Sharma, head of institutional equity research, SBICAP Securities. “While tariff hikes across the industry will require some consensus among telcos, enabling upgrades to 4G devices will
improve data experience, usage and spend of subscribers to the ₹200 range, which is what telcos are aiming for,” Sharma added.
Loss of subscribers at the lower end, while retaining higher-paying 4G customers is in line with Airtel’s and Voda Idea’s business strategies. Both have been focusing on upgrading their 2G customer base to quality 4G users amid heightened competition from Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd, which only offers 4G services. Currently, 49% of Airtel’s customer base is on 4G network, while for Voda Idea it is 37%.
However, telecom firms cannot do away with 2G services despite increased investments in 4G and for 5G rollout, as many customers still use feature phones.
Even though Airtel and Vodafone have lost 4.7 million customers each in May, while Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd has added 3.7 million users, the loss or gain has not translated into any major change in usage patterns.