Ahmedabad: Gujarat now has more phone connections than people. The state’s tele-density crossed the 100% mark for the first time in nearly five years after telecom operators added 4.06 lakh subscribers in May, according to the latest Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) subscription report. The additions took Gujarat’s total telecom subscriber base to 7.2 crore, pushing tele-density above 100 for the first time since July 2021.Tele-density measures the number of telephone connections for every 100 people. A figure above 100 means active phone connections outnumber the state’s estimated population, largely because many people now use multiple sim cards for work, business, data or personal use.The addition marks one of Gujarat’s strongest monthly gains in recent months and reflects continued growth in wireless services, industry executives said.Attributing the rise to a combination of factors, an industry source said, “The return of migrant labourers has led to fresh subscriber additions. At the same time, operators have expanded their networks, particularly in rural areas, while portability requests have also contributed to the overall increase. Competition among operators is also a factor.”The rollout of 5G services has further accelerated subscriber growth. Telecom executives said many users are opting for an additional sim to access better network coverage or dedicated 5G services without changing their existing number.Operator-wise, Reliance Jio remained the state’s largest telecom provider with around 3.33 crore subscribers, followed by Vodafone Idea with 1.98 crore, Bharti Airtel with 1.57 crore and BSNL with around 32 lakh.The TRAI report also showed that Gujarat’s 5G fixed wireless subscriber base rose from 6.75 lakh in April to 6.84 lakh in May, reflecting steady adoption of high-speed wireless broadband services.
