According to the COAI data, in terms of subscriber base, BSNL is the biggest loser during the period (April-Sept 2012). It had lost 2.30 lakh subscribers during the period. BSNL, which used to be the number three player in state at the end of March 2012, after Airtel, and Idea Cellular(Spice), slipped to the number four position. With about 4.46 million subscriber base at the end of September 2012, Vodafone Essar had replaced BSNL. At the end of September 2012, Bharti Airtel was having a subscriber base of 6.89 million, Idea Cellular(5.59 million), followed by Vodafone and BSNL(4.40 million). In addition to registering a negative growth rate in the review period, the average revenue per user (ARPU) is still a concern for the GSM service providers in Punjab. The Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) is an area of concern for the GSM operators, as it is going downwards, hitting the bottomlines of the telecom players.