Analysts wary of Vi's falling subscribers, broadband users

'Recent fundraise could have a bearing on subscriber additions'

- SUBHAYAN CHAKRABORTY

Vodafone Idea's (Vi's) subscriber loss reduced to a seven-month low in March, and alongside the company added 1.1 million broadband users after two months of net loss two things analysts have noted as key trends that need to be monitored.

While Vi has been losing customers for more than two and a half years now, the churn reduced to below a million after five straight months in March, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) data has shown. "Jio's softer than usual subscriber growth in March, and Vi's slowing subscriber market share loss are key trends to keep an eye on going forward," global investment banking and financial services major UBS said in an analyst note.

While Reliance Jio has continued to strengthen its position, its subscriber addition fell in recent months.