Regulators
India’s telecom ties tighten up
Broadband crosses 1,007 million as telecom adds 8.53 million users.
MUMBAI: In a nation where staying connected is practically a superpower, India’s telecom scene just powered up, crossing the billion-broadband threshold and adding millions more to the call queue in December 2025.
Imagine the buzz, from bustling Mumbai streets to remote rural pockets, signals are strengthening. According to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), total telephone subscribers hit 1,306.14 million by month’s end, up 8.53 million with a 0.66 per cent monthly growth spurt. Urban areas led the charge with 762.44 million subscribers (net addition 7.20 million, 0.95 per cent growth), while rural regions dialed in 543.70 million (up 1.33 million, 0.25 per cent growth). The overall tele-density climbed to 91.74 per cent including machine-to-machine (M2M) connections, or 84.01 per cent without urban at a whopping 148.92 per cent, rural at 59.63 per cent.
Broadband’s the real star here, surging to 1,007.35 million users, a 0.37 per cent monthly hop from 1,003.65 million. Wired connections ticked to 45.29 million (0.39 per cent growth), fixed wireless zipped to 14.77 million (5.04 per cent jump), and mobile wireless held steady at 947.30 million (0.30 per cent rise). Reliance Jio ruled the roost with 514.35 million subscribers, followed by Bharti Airtel’s 314.26 million (using November data, mind you), Vodafone Idea at 128.47 million, BSNL 33.03 million, and Atria Convergence Technologies 2.37 million collectively commanding 98.52 per cent market share.
Drilling down, fixed wired broadband saw Jio at 13.80 million, Airtel 10.05 million, BSNL 4.47 million, ACT 2.37 million, Kerala Vision 1.45 million (70.96 per cent share). On the wireless broadband front (fixed and mobile), Jio dominated with 500.55 million, Airtel 304.21 million, Vodafone Idea 128.46 million, BSNL 28.56 million, IBus 0.12 million near-monopoly at 99.98 per cent.
Wireline subscribers edged to 47.37 million (up 0.32 million, 0.68 per cent growth), with urban density at 8.26 per cent and rural at 0.56 per cent. PSUs like BSNL, MTNL, and APSFL grabbed 19.70 per cent share, while private players like Reliance Jio (31.14 per cent), Bharti Airtel (23.13 per cent), Tata Tele (23.29 peer cent), Vodafone Idea (1.72 per cent), and others filled the pie pvt sector at 80.30 per cent.
Wireless (mobile + FWA) hit 1,258.77 million, growing 0.66 per cent with 8.21 million additions. Urban wireless, 720.15 million (0.96 per cent growth), rural 538.62 million (0.25 per cent). Mobile alone: 1,244.20 million (up 0.59 per cent, 7.24 million net), with urban tele-density 139.08 per cent, rural 58.36 per cent. Active mobile users (peak VLR), 1,162.97 million, 93.47 per cent of total. Airtel boasted 98.96 per cent VLR-to-HLR ratio, BSNL lagged at 58.23 per cent.
M2M connections exploded to 109.19 million (up from 103.48 million), thanks to Airtel’s inclusion Airtel led with 66.95 million (61.31 per cent share), Jio 19.73 million (18.06 per cent), Vodafone Idea 18.53 million (16.99 per cent), BSNL 3.97 million (3.64 per cent).
Fixed wireless details, 5G FWA at 10.99 million (up 5.59 per cent, urban 5.58 million/rural 5.41 million), UBR FWA 3.58 million (12.30 per cent growth, urban 2.54 million/rural 1.03 million), all via Jio.
Circle-wise, all showed wireless growth monthly and yearly, with Circle A adding 2.93 million wireless, Circle B 2.69 million. LSA highlights, Delhi’s tele-density soared to 359.50 per cent, Bihar’s lowest at 61.88 per cent. Nine LSAs below national average.
Switching sides? 16.12 million MNP requests, up from 14.69 million Zone-I 9.02 million (UP East tops at 2.30 million), Zone-II 7.10 million (Madhya Pradesh 1.52 million).
With providers like Jio and Airtel flexing muscles, private firms snagging 92.53 per cent mobile market, PSUs 7.47 per cent India’s telecom tango is far from over, blending urban zing with rural reach in a digital dance that’s got everyone hooked.
I&B Ministry
Govt panel clears D2M broadcasting, flags stakeholder review
Policy momentum builds for D2M ahead of expected 2026 rollout
NEW DELHI: The government has taken a decisive step towards rolling out direct-to-mobile (D2M) broadcasting in India, with the Committee of Secretaries giving in-principle approval to the proposal while simultaneously ordering a deeper examination of stakeholder concerns, according to a Storyboard18 report.
People familiar with the discussions said the decision reflects the Centre’s determination to push ahead with next-generation broadcast technologies, even as it seeks to manage growing resistance from telecom operators wary of the impact on mobile video revenues.
The move follows a referral by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to the committee of secretaries, rather than placing the proposal directly before the Union Cabinet, as was initially envisaged. The inter-ministerial panel includes representatives from the Department of Telecommunications, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the Department of Space, and the MIB.
“The clearance keeps the policy engine running without ignoring due process,” said a senior industry executive, requesting anonymity. “It signals commitment without forcing a rushed decision.”
Public broadcaster Prasar Bharati, working with IIT Kanpur and Saankhya Labs, now part of Tejas Networks, is conducting D2M trials across more than 19 cities. The technology allows live television and multimedia content to be transmitted directly to mobile phones without internet connectivity or a SIM card.
Officials see D2M as a strategic public-interest tool, particularly for regions with weak digital infrastructure. Use cases include education, disaster alerts and emergency messaging. “This is being framed as a complement to telecom networks, not a replacement,” said an executive involved in the consultations.
Telecom operators remain unconvinced. They argue that D2M could undercut mobile video consumption, one of the sector’s fastest-growing revenue streams and have questioned both the commercial logic and technical robustness of the trials.
Industry body Cellular Operators Association of India has criticised the testing process, alleging departures from principles of transparency, consultation and technology neutrality, and has called for fresh trials with broader stakeholder participation.
The government and Prasar Bharati have countered these objections with technical evidence. Studies led by IIT Kanpur found that D2M operations in the 470–582 MHz band do not cause harmful interference with existing 4G and 5G networks, nor do they lead to abnormal handset heating. The findings were independently certified by Aracion Technology, a NABL-accredited firm.
The MIB has been among D2M’s strongest advocates, frequently pointing to India’s access gap. Of roughly 280 million households, about 190 million have television access, leaving nearly 90 million TV-dark. By contrast, the country has around 800 million smartphone users and another 250 million feature-phone users.
The newly constituted committee will examine spectrum frameworks, regulatory safeguards and stakeholder concerns, even as pilot deployments continue. Industry executives say the signal from the Centre is unmistakable. “The question now is execution, not intent,” said a senior broadcast executive.
Commercial rollouts are expected to begin by mid-2026, with wider launches towards the end of the year. The MIB has also appointed Ernst & Young as project management consultant to design a national D2M roadmap, including a viable revenue and business model.
