The telephone subscriber base in the country has decreased for the third consecutive month. The number of telephone subscribers decreased to 937.70  million at the end of September, 2012 from 939.57 million at the end of August 2012, thereby registering a monthly growth rate of -0.20%, according to latest figures released by TRAI.

The share of urban subscribers has declined to 63.53% from 63.77% whereas share of rural subscribers has increased to 36.47% in the month of September 2012. With this, the overall Teledensity in India reached 77.04 at the end of September, 2012 from 77.28 of the previous month.

Subscription in the urban areas decreased from 599.20 million in August, 2012 to 595.69 million at the end of September, 2012. Subscription in rural areas increased from 340.37 million to 342.01 million during the same period. The monthly growth rate of urban and rural subscription is -0.59% and 0.48% respectively. The overall urban Teledensity has decreased from 162.35 to 161.13and rural teledensity increased from 40.20 to 40.36.

Total mobile subscriber base decreased from 908.36 million in August 2012 to 906.62 million at the end of September 2012, registering a monthly growth of -0.19%. This decline is due to large scale disconnections by some of the service providers. The share of urban wireless subscribers has decreased from 63.32 % to 63.06% where as share of rural wireless subscribers has increased from 36.68% to 36.94%. The overall wireless teledensity in India has reached 74.49.

Wireless subscription in urban areas decreased from 575.14 million in August 2012 to 571.70 million at the end of September 2012. The wireless subscription in rural areas increased from 333.22 million to 334.92 million during the same period. The urban wireless Teledensityhas decreased from 155.83 to 154.64 and rural teledensity has increased from 39.35 to 39.52.

Reliance Communications added 213,000 new customers taking its subscriber base to 134.8 million with addition of wireless customers.

Aircel added 655,000 customers followed by Quadrant's 53,607. Uninor  added 32,662 new customers. The highest dip of over 918,000 was in the wireless subscriber base of telecom major Bharti Airtel taking it total number of customers to 185.92 million.

The customer base of  Vodafone and Idea Cellular  went down by 686,000 and 508,000 taking there wireless customer base to 152.66 million and 115.46 million respectively.

Tata Teleservices lost and Sistema Shyam lost 276,000 and 249,000 customers which took their customer base to 78.35 million and 16.59 million respectively. Videocon , Loop and state-run MTNL lost 325,000, 47,000 and 15,000 wireless customers respectively Wireline subscriber base declined from 31.21 million at the end of August 2012 to 31.08 Million at the end of September 2012.