Key Details
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) Indian Telecom Services Yearly Performance Indicators covers April 2025–March 2026. Subscriber figures count connections, not distinct people; usage and revenue figures cover the financial year.
Indicator | 2025–26 position |
|---|---|
Internet subscriptions | 1,092.79 million at 31 March 2026, up 12.76% year-on-year; 1,065.88 million were broadband subscriptions. |
Internet subscriptions per 100 people | 76.59 nationally; 126.80 urban and 48.31 rural. |
Total telephone subscriptions | 1,330.58 million, up a reported 10.81% year-on-year. |
Wireline subscriptions | 48.25 million, up 30.25%. |
Wireless data use | 285,376 petabytes during 2025–26, up 24.74%; average use reached 25.51 GB per wireless data subscriber per month. |
More Connections Are Carrying Much More Data
Internet subscriptions rose by 123.69 million over the year, while broadband accounted for nearly all internet connections at March 2026. Wireless internet remained dominant, with 1,046.26 million subscriptions. At the same time, wireline subscriptions grew quickly from a much smaller base, reaching 48.25 million.
Data use rose faster than the number of wireless data subscribers: total wireless data traffic increased 24.74%, while the subscriber count grew 9.29%. Average monthly use per wireless data subscriber consequently rose from 21.53 GB to 25.51 GB. TRAI also reports that operators’ average revenue per GB fell from ₹8.97 to ₹8.02; that measure should not be read as the price paid by every consumer.
The National Total Conceals a Wide Access Gap
Rural internet subscriptions stood at 440.87 million, compared with 651.93 million urban subscriptions. The sharper comparison is relative to population: 48.31 rural internet subscriptions per 100 people, against 126.80 urban subscriptions per 100. A rate above 100 is possible because one person or organisation may hold multiple connections.
Telephone subscriptions show a similar divergence. Urban subscriptions grew 16.92% during the year, compared with 3.20% in rural areas. The figures establish a gap in subscriptions; they do not, on their own, measure connection quality, reliable access or how many individuals use the internet.
The reported 10.81% growth in total telephone subscriptions also needs a comparability qualification. TRAI notes that Bharti Airtel began including its machine-to-machine mobile connections in its 2025–26 subscriber reporting, adding to the reported wireless base. The increase therefore should not be interpreted entirely as growth in personal phone use.
Broadcasting Indicators Move in Different Directions
TRAI’s yearly report also covers broadcasting. Active subscribers to private pay direct-to-home (DTH) televisionfell from 56.92 million to 49.05 million between March 2025 and March 2026. The count excludes subscribers to Doordarshan’s free DTH service. Over the same period, operational community radio stations rose from 531 to 564, while private FM operators reported lower advertising revenue.
These figures document changes across broadcasting services; they do not establish why households left pay DTH.
Policy Relevance
Measure inclusion beyond the headline total. Subscription growth can coexist with a large rural–urban gap, and multiple or machine-to-machine connections can inflate counts relative to the number of people connected.
Track use and service quality alongside coverage. Rapid growth in data traffic makes network capacity and reliability increasingly relevant; subscription totals alone cannot show whether service meets users’ needs.
Keep broadcasting trends distinct. The fall in private pay-DTH subscriptions merits attention, but identifying a shift to streaming or another cause would require evidence on household viewing choices.
Follow the Full Update Here: TRAI Releases the Indian Telecom Services Yearly Performance Indicators for 2025–26