Wireless spearheads telecom growth

New Delhi, July 6 (UNI) Wireless services contined to show robust growth of 10.35 per cent posting an impressive 165.11 million subscribers for the quarter ending March 2007 compared to 149.62 million subscribers in the last quarter.

The tele-density in the quarter ending March 2007 has reached 18.23 per cent compared to 17.16 per cent at quarter ending December 2006. Meanwhile wireline services continued to showed sluggish growth from 40.30 million to 40.75 million. Rural wire-line also grew marginally by 0.64 per cent to 12.56 million.

The gross subscriber base in wireless and wire-line registered 205.86 million (in the quarter ending March 2007) compared to 189.92 million in the last quarter showing an increase of 8.39 per cent.

The number of Public Call Offices (PCO) in the country registered a growth of 4.72 per cent increasing to 5.55 million from 5.30 million.

The number of Village Public Telephones (VPT) in the country has also increased by 1.26 per cent to 5.64 lakhs.

UNI