India’s telecom subscriber base tops 1.33 billion as internet users surge in Q1

NEW DELHI: Call it a signal boost for India’s digital economy. The latest telecom performance data from Telecom Regulatory Authority of India shows that both internet usage and telecom subscriptions continued to climb during the January-March 2026 quarter, with the country’s total telecom subscriber base crossing 1.33 billion for the first time.

According to the regulator’s Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicator Report for the quarter ending March 31, 2026, total telephone subscribers rose from 1,306.14 million in December 2025 to 1,330.58 million in March 2026, registering quarterly growth of 1.87 per cent. On a year-on-year basis, subscriber numbers increased by 10.81 per cent. Overall tele-density also improved from 91.74 per cent to 93.26 per cent during the quarter.

Internet adoption recorded even stronger growth. Total internet subscribers increased by 6.24 per cent, rising from 1,028.61 million to 1,092.79 million. Of these, 1,046.26 million were wireless internet users, while 46.54 million were wired subscribers.

Broadband remained the dominant access mode, accounting for 1,065.88 million subscribers, up 5.81 per cent from 1,007.35 million in the previous quarter. Narrowband subscriptions grew at a faster pace of 26.62 per cent, increasing from 21.25 million to 26.91 million.

India’s wireless ecosystem also continued its expansion. Total wireless subscribers, including mobile and fixed wireless access connections, increased by 23.56 million during the quarter to reach 1,282.33 million. Wireless tele-density improved from 88.41 per cent to 89.88 per cent.

Mobile subscriptions alone stood at 1,265.73 million, up from 1,244.20 million in the previous quarter. The country also reported 16.61 million wireless fixed access subscribers, reflecting growing adoption of fixed wireless broadband services.

Urban India remained the largest telecom market, accounting for 778.79 million telephone subscribers, while rural subscriptions reached 551.79 million. Urban tele-density climbed to 151.47 per cent, while rural tele-density improved to 60.46 per cent.

The report also highlighted steady growth in wireline services. Fixed-line subscriptions rose 1.86 per cent quarter-on-quarter to 48.25 million, while wireline tele-density increased from 3.33 per cent to 3.38 per cent. On a year-on-year basis, wireline subscriptions jumped by 30.25 per cent, indicating renewed interest in fixed broadband and fibre connectivity.

On the financial front, telecom operators generated gross revenue of Rs 1,05,118 crore during the quarter, up 2.58 per cent sequentially. Applicable gross revenue stood at Rs 98,638 crore, while adjusted gross revenue reached Rs 86,716 crore, reflecting growth of 2.26 per cent and 2.90 per cent respectively.

Consumer spending also edged higher. Monthly average revenue per user (ARPU) for wireless services increased from Rs 194.57 to Rs 196.04. Prepaid customers generated an average monthly ARPU of Rs 196.22, slightly higher than the Rs 194.31 recorded for post-paid users.

Voice usage remained robust, with average monthly minutes of usage increasing from 1,012 minutes to 1,017 minutes per subscriber. Prepaid users averaged 1,074 minutes per month, compared with 477 minutes for post-paid subscribers.

Data consumption continued to underline India’s mobile-first economy. Average wireless data usage reached 26.70 GB per subscriber per month, while total wireless data consumption during the quarter stood at 77,953 petabytes. The country also reported 56,222 public Wi-Fi hotspots, which collectively handled 8,576 TB of data traffic.

Beyond telecom services, the broadcasting sector presented a mixed picture. As of March 31, 2026, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had permitted 917 private satellite television channels for uplinking, downlinking or both. Of the 908 channels available for downlinking in India, 342 were pay TV channels, including 238 standard-definition and 104 high-definition channels.

The direct-to-home market, however, continued to face pressure. Active pay DTH subscriptions fell from 50.99 million in December 2025 to 49.05 million in March 2026. The figure excludes subscribers of Prasar Bharati’s DD Free Dish service.

Radio broadcasting saw modest expansion. India ended the quarter with 390 operational private FM radio channels across 120 cities, up from 385 channels across 113 cities in the previous quarter. These stations are operated by 31 private FM broadcasters. Advertisement revenue from private FM radio channels stood at Rs 414.03 crore during the quarter.

Community broadcasting also expanded its footprint, with 564 operational community radio stations reported across the country by the end of March 2026.

The report paints a picture of a telecom sector that continues to grow across connectivity, broadband adoption and revenues. While traditional pay television services face headwinds, rising internet penetration, expanding wireless networks and increasing data consumption suggest India’s digital transformation remains firmly on the fast track.