10.1. Present Status

♤ With a subscriber base of nearly 1074.23 million, as of September 2016, India accounted for the 2nd largest telecom network in the world.

♤ With 367.48 million internet subscriber, as of September 2016, India stood 3rd highest in terms of total internet users in 2016.

♤ Mobile based Internet is a key component of Indian

Internet usage, with 7 out of 8 users accessing internet from their mobile phones. Since 2012, the share of time spent on watching videos on mobile devices has grown by 200 hours a year.

♤ As of September 2016, urban tele-density stood at 156.24 per cent and rural tele-density at

51.24 per cent.

♤ Availability of affordable smartphones and lower rates are expected to drive growth in the Indian telecom industry.

♤ In March 2016, the wireless segment (97.60 per cent of total telephone subscriptions) dominated the market, with the wireline segment accounting for an overall share of 2.4 per cent.