Data use to drive telcos' growth: Analysts

THE DOMESTIC TELECOM industry is undergoing a structural shift, with growth being driven by rising data consumption and higher-value services rather than subscriber additions, analysts said.

- URVI MALVANIA

Mobile subscriber growth slowed to its weakest pace this year in July, with the industry adding just about half a million new wireless users compared with an average 2-3 million in the preceding months.

This sharp deceleration, analysts said, implies that the market for fresh connections could be reaching saturation, particularly in rural areas where all operators reported subscriber losses during the month.