Vodafone Idea, which sent out incorrect subscriber data for the month of January 2021 to Trai, may be further questioned by the regulator if it feels the reason provided is not enough. Trai is also examining the error and even called it ‘inadvertent,’ reports Livemint. For the unaware, Vodafone Idea reported incorrect subscriber additions for the UP West telecom circle which surprised analysts. Trai’s Monthly Subscription Report for January 2021 showed Vodafone Idea lost subscribers in 18 circles and gained in four circles. The telco added subscribers after more than 15 months and seemed to be making a comeback. The Trai will release an updated report later this week.
Trai Not Ruling Out the Genuine Mistake Thought
The Mint report further added that Trai is not ruling out the genuine mistake thought from the telco’s end. “It could be a genuine mistake, we are not disputing that,” said an official at the regulator to the publication. The official also said the Trai is currently examining the error and the reason provided by Vodafone Idea. The telco did not reveal the reason behind sending incorrect data to Trai. If the reason provided by Vodafone Idea is not enough, the telco will be questioned further. As mentioned above, the updated subscription data will be reported later this week. Vodafone Idea may have added subscribers in January, although not in a huge number of 1.7 million. Vodafone Idea is struggling to keep up with the competition in recent years. The telco’s ARPU is also on the lower side at Rs 121 at the end of December 2020. Despite putting in its best efforts, Vi is losing subscribers. It has several unique offers right now like Double Data on select plans, Weekend Data Rollover Facility, Unlimited Night Data and so on. Having said that, we are eagerly waiting for the new data from Trai. In January, Bharti Airtel led the subscriber additions chart with 5.8 million new users joining its network, followed by Reliance Jio with 1.9 million. The incorrect data meant Vi added 1.7 million subscribers.
