This document provides a list of the world's largest mobile network operators by number of subscribers as well as the largest satellite phone network operators. For the terrestrial mobile operators, the top 30 are listed along with their main markets, technology used, total subscribers and ownership details. China Mobile is the largest operator with over 667 million subscribers. The top 5 satellite phone operators are also listed, led by Iridium with 0.5 million subscribers.

1. List of mobile network operators
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a list of the world's largest mobile phone network and satellite phone
network operators measured by number of subscribers.
For a more comprehensive list of mobile phone operators, see Mobile Network
Code.
Terrestrial
This is a list of the world's 30 largest terrestrial mobile phone network operators
measured by number of subscribers (and by proportionate subscribers, if the
company has holdings in other operators).
Main markets Proportionate Total
Rank Company (100% ownership unless Technology subscribers subscribers Ownership
stated otherwise) (in millions) (in millions)
667.20[1] 667.20[1] Government of the PRC
1 China Mobile List[show] List[show]
(March 2012) (March 2012) Public (25.75%)
439.601[2]
2 Vodafone List[show] List[show]
(December 2011)
Bharti (64.76%)
245.337[3] 245.337[3]
3 Airtel List[show] List[show] SingTel (30.5%)
(December 2011) (December 2011)
Vodafone (4.4%)
140 (December 150[4]
4 Telenor List[show] List[show] 54% Government of No
2011) (October 2011)
236[5] 236[5]
5 América Móvil List[show] List[show]
(June 2011) (June 2011)
231.87[6] 231.87[6]
6 Telefónica List[show] List[show]
(September 2011) (September 2011)

2. Main markets Proportionate Total
Rank Company (100% ownership unless Technology subscribers subscribers Ownership
stated otherwise) (in millions) (in millions)
226.3[7] 226.3[7]
7 Orange List[show] List[show] France Télécom
(September 2011) (September 2011)
205[8]
(December 2011)
209[9] Telenor (35.7%)
Altimo (31.4%)
8 VimpelCom Ltd. List[show] List[show] (March 2012) Weather Investments(1
Public (14.2%)
(the world’s sixth-largest
wireless operator by
subscribers[10])
Axiata Group 159.7[11] Government of Malaysi
9 List[show] List[show]
Berhad (December 2010) Public Stock (54.91%)
China Unicom Limited
202.89[12] (40.92%)
10 China Unicom List[show]
(January 2011) China Netcom Group (29.49%)
Telefonica (9.7%)
160[13] 37.3% Government of S
11 TeliaSonera List[show] List[show]
(December 2010) 13.7% Government of F
Saudi Telecom 139[14]
12 List[show] List[show]
Company(STC) (December 2010)
137.47[15]
13 MTN Group List[show] List[show]
(September 2010)
135[16]
14 Etisalat List[show] List[show]
(February 2010)
Reliance 144.78[17] Reliance Anil Dhirubha
15 India List[show]
Communications (July 2011) Group
134.76[18]
16 Tele2 List[show] List[show] Tele2 AB
(March 2012)
129.14[19]
17 T-Mobile List[show] List[show] Deutsche Telekom
(March 2012)
108.7[20] Verizon Communicatio
18 Verizon Wireless United States List[show]
(Aug 2011) Vodafone (45%)
106.07[21]
19 MTS List[show] List[show] Sistema (50.8%)
(December 2011)
100.7[22]
20 AT&T Mobility List[show] List[show] AT&T Inc.
(September 2011)
129.25[23]
21 China Telecom China List[show]
(January 2011)
100[24] Telkom Indonesia (65%
22 Telkomsel Indonesia List[show]
(April 2011) SingTel (35%)
96.11[17] Aditya Birla Group(49.
23 Idea Cellular India List[show]
(July 2011) Axiata Group Berhad(1

3. Main markets Proportionate Total
Rank Company (100% ownership unless Technology subscribers subscribers Ownership
stated otherwise) (in millions) (in millions)
Providence Equity (10.6
[17]
95.14
24 BSNL India List[show] Government of India
(July 2011)
88.31[17] Tata Group (74%)
25 Tata Teleservices India List[show]
(July 2011) NTT DoCoMo (26%)
Telecom Italia 71.50[25]
26 List[show] List[show] Telefonica (24.5%)
Mobile (TIM) (September 2009)
66.1[26]
27 PLDT Philippines[show] List[show]
(March 2012)
Maxis 63.71[27][28] Ananda Krishnan (75%
28 List[show] List[show]
Communications (December 2010) Saudi Telecom Compan
Turkcell Holding (51%
63.3[29] Sonera Holding B.V.(13
29 Turkcell List[show] List[show]
(Q3 2011) M.V.Group (2.32%)
Public Stock (33.61%)
33.60[30] 60.53[30]
30 Qtel List[show] List[show]
(December 2009) (December 2009)

4. Satellite based
This is a list of the world's five largest satellite phone network operators measured
by number of subscribers.
Subscribers
Rank Operator Technology Ownership
(in millions)
1 Iridium Proprietary TDMA 0.500 (September 2011)[31]
2 Globalstar Proprietary CDMA 0.439 (January 2011)[32]
3 Thuraya Proprietary FDMA/GSM 0.260 (December 2007)[33] Etisalat(28%)
4 Inmarsat Proprietary GSM 0.254 (September 2009)[34]
5 ACeS Dual-mode Satellite/GSM 0.020 (December 2007-pankaj Kumar)