Broadband
Reliance ties up with LG Electronics for Internet services
MUMBAI: Telecom service provider Reliance Infocomm has announced an agreement with consumer electronics manufacturer LG Electronics to offer instant, assured and uninterrupted Internet connectivity on LG Desktop Personal Computers.
As per the agreement, those buying LG desktop computers across India will be provided the Reliance Cordless Fixed Wireless Phone (FWP) and a data cable to avail of Internet connectivity at speeds that promise to exceed dial-up speeds.
With its pan-India CDMA2000 1x network, Reliance wireless products enable anytime, anywhere, high-speed Internet connectivity through the popular R-Connect service platform. The maximum possible download speed is 144 kbps.
All Reliance Infocomm’ wireless products can be used as wireless modems for Internet access. Says Reliance Infocomm COO Kamal Nanavaty, “This agreement with LG Electronics is yet another step forward in the company’s commitment to bring about a digital revolution in India by changing the way Indians communicate, get entertained and do business. Internet connectivity in India has lagged behind due to poor quality networks and high access costs. Through this tie-up, we are trying to bridge both – the access and cost gaps. With our Phase II expansion underway, Reliance Infocomm services will soon cover the far-flung interiors of India and this tie-up will help boost Internet penetration.”
LG states that with the new deal the end consumer will have the added advantage of using an Internet-ready PC with wireless connectivity. This move will offer seamless Internet connectivity. “The offering will not only optimize PC usage experience with seamless Internet connectivity but will in the long run contribute to accelerating the much needed Internet penetration in the country,” the company says.
R-Connect is a Reliance service platform to provide ‘anytime, anywhere’, instant and uninterrupted Internet connectivity, supporting high-speed data transfer. Reliance wireless products can be used as wireless modems to connect to the Internet from personal computers, laptops or hand-held devices.
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.
