India-based Reliance Jio picked up the lion’s share of new subscribers in October, while its closest two rivals lost customers during the month, data from the Telecommunication Authority of India (TRAI) showed.

Jio, with a 22.5 per cent share of mobile subscribers, added 10.5 million subs in October, taking its total to 263 million. Number one operator Vodafone Idea ended the month with 428 million subs, down by 7.36 million from Sept; Bharti Airtel closed the month with 342 million subs, a decline of nearly 2 million. The three had a combined 88 per cent market share. State-owned BSNL’s sub base remained steady at 113 million.

After a net gain of 725,000 in October, India had 1.17 billion mobile subscribers, with 55 per cent in urban areas.

TRAI said mobile broadband subs rose 3 per cent from the previous month to 477 million, representing 41 per cent of total mobile subs.