TRAI reports pay TV numbers for India at end-2019

Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicator Report for the Quarter ending October-December, 2019

NEW DELHI — The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) today has released the “Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicator Report” for the Quarter ending 31st December, 2019. This Report provides a broad perspective of the Telecom Services in India and presents the key parameters and growth trends of the Telecom Services as well as Cable TV, DTH & Radio Broadcasting services in India for the period covering 1st October, 2019 to 31st December, 2019 compiled mainly on the basis of information furnished by the Service Providers.

Satellite TV

Since its introduction in the year 2003, DTH (direct-to-home) service has displayed a phenomenal growth. During the QE 31st December, 2019, there were 4 pay DTH service providers in the country.

Pay DTH has attained average active subscriber base of around 69.98 million in QE 31st December 2019. This is in addition the subscribers of DTH Free Dish (free DTH services of Doordarshan).

                                      2018
------------------------------------------
End-March   End-June  End-Sept.   End-Dec.
---------  ---------  ---------  ---------
    67.53      69.37      69.45      70.49

                                      2019
------------------------------------------
End-March   End-June  End-Sept.   End-Dec.
---------  ---------  ---------  ---------
    72.44      68.92      69.30      69.98

Cable TV

As on 31st December 2019, there are 1,613 MSOs registered with the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB). Further, as per the data reported by MSOs / HITS operators, there are 13 MSOs & 1 HITS operator who have a subscriber base of more than one million.

Subscriber Base of major MSOs/HITS Operators at the end of December, 2019
(more than one million subscribers)

                                                       Active
                                                   Subscriber
Rank  Operator                                          Base*
----  -------------------------------------------  ----------
1.    Siti Networks                                 9,211,351
2.    GTPL Hathway                                  7,554,713
3.    Hathway Digital                               5,256,930
4.    Den Networks                                  4,175,528
5.    Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable TV                     2,878,911
6.    Kerala Communicators Cable Ltd (KCCL)         2,731,885
7.    Fastway Transmissions Pvt Ltd                 2,441,575
8.    TCCL                                          2,426,267
9.    IndusInd Media and Communication Ltd (HITS)   1,940,496
10.   KAL Cables                                    1,907,901
11.   VK Digital                                    1,499,548
12.   IndusInd Media and Communication Ltd (CATV)   1,431,079
13.   Asianet Digital Network                       1,328,564
14.   E-Digital                                     1,217,643

* Includes subscribers who have been inactive or temporarily suspended for not more than last 90 days.