New Delhi, Feb 10 (TNT): India’s telecom sector added 8.53 million new subscribers in December 2025, taking the total subscriber base to 1,306.14 million, driven largely by continued growth in wireless connections, according to data released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India on Tuesday.
Wireless services accounted for the bulk of the expansion, with net additions of 8.21 million, underlining the sector’s dependence on mobile-led growth.
Broadband subscriptions crossed the one-billion mark, rising to 1,007.35 million, reflecting sustained demand for high-speed data services, the data revealed.
Wireless broadband dominated with 962.07 million users, while wireline broadband stood at 45.29 million, indicating stable but modest growth in fixed-line connectivity.
The increase in broadband users highlights expanding digital consumption across entertainment, commerce and enterprise services.
Urban markets continued to lead subscription growth, supported by higher tele-density and multiple connections per user, while rural areas recorded steady additions, pointing to untapped long-term potential, it said00.
Overall tele-density, including machine-to-machine connections, rose to 91.74 per cent, signalling deeper digital penetration across the economy.
Competitive intensity remained high, with 16.12 million mobile number portability requests recorded during the month, reflecting customer churn and aggressive pricing strategies among operators.
Active wireless subscribers stood at 1,162.97 million at peak usage levels, reinforcing the scale and resilience of India’s telecom market as operators focus on expanding subscriber bases while improving data monetisation.
India’s broadband subscriber base rose by 3.7 million in December 2025 to 1,007.35 million, up from 1,003.65 million in November, recording a monthly growth of 0.37 per cent, as per data from 1,479 operators released by TRAI.
Growth was led by fixed wireless access, which expanded by 5.04 per cent to 14.77 million subscribers, driven by 5G FWA deployments.
Mobile wireless broadband increased marginally by 0.30 per cent to 947.30 million, while fixed wired broadband edged up 0.39 per cent to 45.29 million, indicating steady but moderate growth in traditional wireline services.
India’s broadband market remained highly concentrated as of December 31, 2025, with the top five service providers accounting for 98.52 per cent of total wired and wireless broadband subscribers, highlighting limited fragmentation in the sector, according to the data.
Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd. retained its clear leadership position with a subscriber base of 514.35 million, reinforcing its dominance in mobile and fixed wireless broadband.
Bharti Airtel Ltd. followed with 314.26 million subscribers, maintaining a strong second position driven by mobile data and fibre expansion.
Vodafone Idea Ltd. ranked third with 128.47 million subscribers, while Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. held the fourth spot with 33.03 million subscribers, supported largely by its fixed-line and FTTH base.
Atria Convergence Technologies Ltd. completed the top five with 2.37 million subscribers, reflecting its regional fibre-led presence.
The data underscores the scale advantage enjoyed by leading operators and the competitive pressure on smaller players in India’s broadband market, which continues to be driven by wireless data consumption and rapid 5G-led fixed wireless access growth.
TNT KS
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