NEW DELHI -- Indian mobile phone users outnumber fixed-line customers for the first time, with users increasing by 1.4 million in October, government figures say. The number of mobile phone subscribers grew to 44.9 million last month, overtaking the 43.9 million registered landline users, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India said in a report.
The surge in mobile users reflects highly competitive tariffs offered by Indian operators. Some companies offer call rates as low as two U.S. cents a minute, BBC reports.
"This unprecedented growth has been due to the fact that the mobile tariffs in India are the lowest (in the world)," the regulatory authority statement read.
However, fewer than five in 100 people in India own a mobile handset, compared with penetration rates of well over 50 percent in most European countries.
Because of its high population, India has emerged as the second-largest market after China for cell phone handsets. Mobile phone makers are racing to offer newer models to keep pace with demand.
An industry survey predicts that at least 110 million new mobile phone subscribers will be added during the next three years in India.
