FY2013-2014
Airtel crosses 200 million mobile customer mark in India
- ● Last 100 million added in less than 5 years
- ● Largest rural mobile customer base in India
- ● Underlines status as one of India’s most trusted brands
- ● Moves closer to its vision of becoming India’s most admired brand
New Delhi, February 19, 2014: Bharti Airtel (“Airtel”), a leading global telecommunications company with operations in 20 countries across Asia and Africa, today said that it has crossed the 200 million mobile subscriber mark in India, further consolidating its leadership position in the world’s second largest mobile market. Airtel is the largest telecom operator in India, both in terms of customers and revenues. The Company ranks as the fourth largest mobile operator in the world in terms of subscribers.
Gopal Vittal, Joint MD& CEO (India), Bharti Airtel
said, “We are delighted to have reached this major milestone. It is gratifying to see the trust our customers have reposed in our brand and it will be our endeavor to continue delighting them with innovative and world-class services. We will also continue to invest towards building a robust data network of the future and be at the forefront of India’s mobile broadband revolution.”
Airtel has the largest bouquet of mobile services for customers in India, including 2G, 3G, 4G, Mobile Commerce and other Value Added Services. Its distribution channel is spread across 1.5 Mn outlets, with network presence in 5,121 census and 460,655 non-census towns and villages in India covering approximately 86.7% of the country’s population. Airtel has the largest rural mobile customer base in India with over 88 million mobile customers (from rural markets).
Airtel has India’s widest 3G footprint, offering customers high-speed internet access and a host of innovative services like Mobile TV, video calls, live-streaming videos and gaming. Airtel is the only mobile operator in India to offer 4G services using TD-LTE technology, providing customers the fastest wireless services with buffer-less HD video streaming and multi-tasking capabilities.
BHARTI AIRTEL - KEY MILESTONES
1994 – Wins GSM licenses for mobile service in Delhi & NCR.
1995 – Launches services under the ‘Airtel’ brand name.
1997 – Becomes the first mobile service provider in the country to cross 100,000 customer mark.
1998 – Launches India’s first private fixed line service in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.
2001 – Network i2i, India’s first submarine cable company launched with SingTel.
2002 – Goes public, completes India’s first 100% book building issue.
2002 – Becomes India’s first private telecommunications service provider to launch International Long Distance services.
2005 – First private service provider in India to have an All-India telecom footprint.
2008 – Crosses 60 million customer mark. Launches DTH services.
2009 – Crosses the magical 100 million customer mark.
2009 – Expands operation to Sri Lanka.
2010 – Expands operations to Bangladesh.
2010 - Announces acquisition of Zain telecom.
2011 – Launches 3G services and ‘airtel money’ in India.
2012- Becomes the first Indian telco to launch 4G services.
2014- Becomes the first Indian telco to offer 4G service on mobile phones.
Airtel launched its mobile operations in India in 1995. Since then it has been at the forefront of India’s mobile revolution that has empowered millions across the length and breadth of the country. Airtel crossed the 100 million mobile customers mark in India in 2009.
About Bharti Airtel
Bharti Airtel Limited is a leading global telecommunications company with operations in 20 countries across Asia and Africa. Headquartered in New Delhi, India, the company ranks amongst the top 4 mobile service providers globally in terms of subscribers. In India, the company's product offerings include 2G, 3G and 4G wireless services, mobile commerce, fixed line services, high speed DSL broadband, IPTV, DTH, enterprise services including national & international long distance services to carriers. In the rest of the geographies, it offers 2G, 3G wireless services and mobile commerce. Bharti Airtel had over 289 million customers across its operations at the end of January 2014. To know more please visit, www.airtel.com
