Not Quite Hungry

The state-run telecom service provider Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) continued to be a significant wireline PSTN player in the two metro circles of Delhi and Mumbai where it operates. To its credit, it even managed to secure a small annual subscriber growth of 2.4 percent in the wireline segment, growing from a relatively small base of 3.46 million in 2012 to 3.54 million in 2013.

In the fixed-line internet segment too, MTNL was at No. 3 with 1.11 million subscribers and 6.06 percent subscriber share. (For a perspective, segment leader BSNL had a subscriber share of 71.9 percent while the next player Bharti Airtel had an 8.02 percent share.)

Between its two circles, Delhi gave MTNL the majority of its subscribers, both in the fixed-line and wireless segments. For example, e, around 71 percent t of f MTNL’s wireless subscribers came from Delhi.

MTNL, however, continued to have a somewhat weak position in both mobile voice and broadband segments. In the Delhi circle, for example, its wireless subscriber share was a mere 6.06 percent while for the Mumbai circle it was even lower at 3.4 percent.

The enterprise services segment continued to serve MTNL as a strength area, though it has faced increased challenge from the private-sector players in the recent years and its market share.