India adds nearly 60 million mobile users

Indian telecom companies added nearly 60 million mobile users in three months, taking the country's number of wireless subscribers to nearly 812 million, official data showed Thursday. India is the world's fastest-growing cellular market and second largest after China with over a dozen operators competing for millions of new customers each month. The country's mobile base grew by 7.9 percent to 811.59 million during the January-March financial quarter from 752.19 million at the end of December 31, 2010, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) said. The number of telephones per 100 people -- now has reached 70.89, Trai said. The total telecom subscriber base including fixed lines touched 846.32 million for the quarter. During the January-March quarter, telephone subscription in urban areas increased to 564.08 million, while rural subscriptions grew to 282.23 million. The total Internet subscriber base grew more than five percent to 19.67 million from the previous quarter, the figures showed. The government says boosting telecommunications use is key to India's socio-economic development, especially in poverty-hit rural areas where penetration is still low.