The Indian Telecom network is fastest growing market and is the third largest network of the world. The country has witnessed a growth rate of 45% and has a customer base of more than 250 million subscribers.
Telecom industry in India has revolutionized the whole economy of the country, accounting for about 45.4% of the total market. The major segment of the industry includes wireless handsets, wireless infrastructure equipments, wireline switches, access network equipment, modem and VoIP phones.
The industry started in 1851 with the fixing of first operational land lines near Calcutta and later in 1881, telephone services were introduced in the country. Then, with the advancement of technology many other means of telecommunication splurged in the country. The wind of reforms flowed with the introduction of MTNL and VSNL. Thereafter, the country showed rapid development in telecommunication and the industry benefiting the Indian economy.
The Indian telecom industry is divided into fixed service providers and cellular services. Fixed service providers accounts for basic services in terms of short and long distance phone calls. The technology has also brought in other high end and reliable means of communication like leased lines, ISDN, and video conferencing. Cellular services refer to the use of GSM mobiles or CDMA mobiles. GSM refer to the global system for mobile communication that is provided by leading companies like Airtel, Vodafone and Idea. CDMA refers to code division multiple access. This sector is dominated by Reliance Communication and Tata Indicom.
The industry has shown tremendous growth rate in the recent years and is expected to jump a high scale in the coming years.