Nowadays, the cellphone seems to have integral part of our lives. With every rickshaw-puller, washerman, vegetable vendor, even the roadside cobbler, sporting the gadget, the number of cellphone users in the city is at an all-time high.

According to the Statistical Abstract 2007, released by the Chandigarh Administration recently, Chandigarh, with a population of around 12 lakh has around 11 lakh mobile phone subscribers (approximately 91.6 per cent).

While there were around 5.9 lakh mobile users in 2005, the figure doubled in 2007 with the number of subscribers crossing 10 lakh.

“At present, the figure stands at over 11 lakh subscribers and is increasing rapidly,” said a senior official of the Chandigarh Administration’s Statistical Department.

According to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), in July the country witnessed the highest-ever increase in the mobile subscriber base when 92.2 lakh new subscribers were added.

In June, the number of new subscribers was 89.4 lakh.

This trend is reflected across the country. According to Cellular Operators’ Association of India, there were 2.33 crore mobile phone users in 2004 who have now crossed 21.89 crore.

Chief Operating Officer (Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh), Bharti Airtel, Sanjay Bahl said: “I am not at all surprised at the rapid growth of the mobile market. The people of this region are well known for their dynamism and modern outlook. They are risk-takers and eager to try out any technology that will help improve efficiency and ensure profitability.”

PCOs vanishing
The ubiquitous Public Call Offices (PCOs) are a rare sight now. Of the 2,524 Public Call Offices (PCOs) in the city, over a 1,000 have already closed down, according to the figures released in the Statistical Abstract 2007. “The PCO operators at bus stands, railway stations and markets have started winding up operations, as there are hardly any customers these days,” said Parveen Kumar, a shopkeeper in Sector 22 who earlier operated three PCOs.