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The loss of millions of 2G subscribers due to Covid-19 lockdowns is likely to help Bharti Airtel Ltd\u2019s and Vodafone Idea Ltd\u2019s bottom-lines as they will save significantly in fixed costs on servicing low-margin 2G users, analysts said. A fall in the number of low-paying 2G customers could, in fact, boost the average revenue per user (Arpu). <\/p>\n
The lockdowns led to an exodus of workers from urban to rural India following job losses, resulting in a fall in the 2G subscriber base. Limited access to recharge centres also led to 2G service disruptions, as 4G customers prefer digital modes for recharge. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe believe that the loss of subscribers may not hurt the telecom companies much. This could be due to two reasons\u2014loss of customers mainly in the 2G space owing to labour migration, and not using dual SIM cards and moving to a single SIM,\u201d said Sanjeev Hota, head of research, Sharekhan by BNP Paribas.<\/p>\n
The bulk of the Arpu growth telcos are looking for will depend on their ability to transition from 2G\/3G customers to the 4G ecosystem, with improved services leading to customer stickiness and higher revenue, said Rajiv Sharma, head of institutional equity research, SBICAP Securities. \u201cWhile tariff hikes across the industry will require some consensus among telcos, enabling upgrades to 4G devices will immediately improve data experience, usage and spend of subscribers to the \u20b9200 range, which is what telcos are aiming for,\u201d Sharma added. <\/p>\n
Loss of subscribers at the lower end, while retaining higher-paying 4G customers is in line with Airtel\u2019s and Voda Idea\u2019s business strategies. Both have been focusing on upgrading their 2G customer base to quality 4G users amid heightened competition from Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd, which only offers 4G services. Currently, 49% of Airtel\u2019s customer base is on 4G network, while for Voda Idea it is 37%. <\/p>\n
However, telecom firms cannot do away with 2G services despite increased investments in 4G and for 5G rollout, as many customers still use feature phones. <\/p>\n
Even though Airtel and Vodafone have lost 4.7 million customers each in May, while Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd has added 3.7 million users, the loss or gain has not translated into any major change in usage patterns.<\/p>\n
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