Broadband
India SatCom-2015: Ushering in a new era
MUMBAI: Accounting for approximately 17 per cent of the global population and with a growing middle class and a large population still living in rural & remote areas, India presents large market opportunities for satellite communication services. With the government’s focus on ‘Digital India’, one of the significant market enablers for broadband penetration shall be over satellite, as a large share of the population still remain beyond the reach of the terrestrial broadband network including fiber and cable.
To shake off the inertia and cynicism and bring about an awakening call to the policy makers for the need to refocus on satellite communication policy and to realise the dream and vision of our Hon’ble Prime Minister – Narendra Modi to make “ Digital India “ –India’s road map for providing inclusive growth & development for its entire population of 1.3 billion, we are organising a unique day long seminar about Satellite Communication and how we can use this technology to transform the lives of the people of India. On behalf of Broadband India Forum ( BIF ), we are pleased to invite you to attend this gala event to be held on 16 January 2015 at Hotel Le Meridien , Janpath, New Delhi from 10am. The theme of the conference is India Satcom-2015: Ushering in a new era.
The chief architect of the ‘Digital India’ program- Hon’ble Minister of Communications & IT-Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad ji has been invited to grace the occasion by inaugurating the conference and delivering the inaugural address.
The dignitaries who have been extended the invitation to be a part of the conference are Rahul Khullar, Chairperson- TRAI, Rita Teotia, Special Secretary- Dept. of Telecom and Kiran Karnik prominent Indian administrator chiefly known for his work in the broadcasting and outsourcing industries, RK Arnold, Member TRAI besides leading industry veterans viz. Vern Fotheringham-CEO & MD, Kymeta Corp, USA who shall be delivering the keynote address & David Hartshorn-Secretary General, Global VSAT Forum ( GVF ) who shall be bringing an international perspective to the discussions.
The occasion will also see the release of the White Paper on Satellite Vision – 2020 besides the launch of the India SatCom Forum under the aegis of Broadband India Forum. This will be entrusted to take the recommendations of the conference forward and work diligently to provide industry inputs in the New Satcom Policy-2015.
The conference is expected to be attended by eminent visionaries, technocrats, industry specialists and bureaucrats from Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Doordarshan, Prasar Bharati, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, Department of Telecommunications, Government of India, Telecom Engineering Center, Indian Space research Organization / ANTRIX,WPC (Wireless Planning & Coordination Wing) and from the Broadcasters, Satellite Service Providers,Satellite Operators, Telecom Service Providers, Broadband Service Providers / Internet service Providers, DTH Operators , VSAT Service Providers, System Integrators, Technology Providers and Users.
The conference has been supported by two large international organisations- the Global VSAT Forum (GVF) and the Cable & Satellite Broadcasters Association (CASBAA).
Broadband
Airtel and Jio surge ahead as Vodafone Idea and BSNL lose subscribers in December
India’s mobile base rises in December, but gains skewed towards the top two operators
NEW DELHI: India’s telecom market ended 2025 with a familiar split: the leaders sprinting ahead, the laggards slipping further. Fresh data from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) show Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio adding millions of wireless users in December, while Vodafone Idea and state-run BSNL continued to bleed subscribers.
India’s overall telephone subscriber base, wireless and wireline, climbed to 1.306 billion in December 2025, a monthly rise of 0.66 per cent. Growth was driven largely by wireless, which accounted for the bulk of new additions.
Bharti Airtel added 5.42 million wireless subscribers during the month, the biggest net gain among operators. Reliance Jio followed with roughly 2.96 million additions. Their gains were spread across multiple licensed service areas, underscoring broad-based momentum.
The story was starkly different for their rivals. Vodafone Idea recorded a net loss of about 9.4 lakh wireless subscribers, extending a run of monthly erosion. BSNL also saw its base shrink by around 2.06 lakh users. Despite marginal gains in a few circles, the PSU’s overall wireless base continued to contract.
Taken together, net wireless (mobile) additions across operators stood at 7.23 million in December.
Wireless subscribers, including mobile and fixed wireless access (FWA), rose to 1.258 billion, a net monthly increase of 8.21 million. Wireless tele-density improved to 88.41 per cent, though the urban–rural divide remained wide: urban tele-density at 140.66 per cent versus 59.07 per cent in rural areas.
The wireline segment posted modest growth. Subscribers increased from 47.05 million in November to 47.37 million in December, a 0.68 per cent monthly rise. Urban areas continued to dominate, while rural wireline tele-density stayed low.
Broadband crossed a symbolic milestone, with total subscribers topping one billion to reach 1,007.35 million by December-end. Mobile wireless broadband remained the primary access mode. In fixed wireless access, 5G FWA subscribers grew 5.59 per cent month on month, signalling gradual uptake of next-generation services.
Yet churn remains high. TRAI noted that about 16.12 million subscribers submitted mobile number portability requests in December alone.
The scoreboard is clear: scale is breeding more scale at the top, while smaller players struggle to hold ground. In India’s brutally competitive telecom arena, December’s numbers show a market that is still growing, but not evenly—and momentum, for now, sits firmly with the frontrunners.
