iWorld
Vodafone Idea loses 3.5 mn wireless subscribers in Oct’ 22: Trai
Mumbai: For the 16th consecutive month, Vodafone Idea continued to lose subscribers. According to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s monthly subscriber data, the telecom provider lost 3.5 million wireless subscribers. Meanwhile, Reliance Jio continued to strengthen its position and added more than 1.4 million wireless subscribers during the month. Bharti Airtel added 0.80 million during the same period.
The total number of wireless subscribers decreased from 1,145.45 million to 1,143.63 million in October. The number of wireless subscribers in urban areas decreased from 627.14 million to 625.18 million. However, wireless subscriptions in rural areas increased from 518.31 million to 518.45 million.
As per Trai data, there were 1016.81 active wireless subscribers during the month. Reliance Jio had the highest number of active wireless subscribers at 390.98 million, followed by Bharti Airtel at 358.03 million and Vodafone Idea at 211.72 million. BSNL had 55.47 million active wireless subscribers.
As per information received from 874 operators in August, Trai found that total broadband subscribers increased from 816.24 million to 821.49 million. The broadband subscribers comprised 789.10 million mobile device users, 31.35 million wired subscribers, and 1.04 million fixed wireless subscribers.
The top five broadband service providers were Reliance Jio Infocomm with 426.80 million subscribers, followed by Bharti Airtel (225.09 million), Vodafone Idea (123.20 million), BSNL (25.62 million), and Atria Convergence (2.13 million).
The top five wired broadband service providers were Reliance Jio Infocomm with 6.56 million subscribers, followed by Bharti Airtel (5.27 million), BSNL (3.91 million), Atria Convergence (2.14 million), and Hathway Cable & Datacom (1.13 million).
The top five wireless broadband service providers were Reliance Jio Infocomm (421.38 million), Bharti Airtel (222.85 million), Vodafone Idea (123.36 million), BSNL (22.10 million), and Intech Online (0.23 million).
The number of wireline subscribers increased from 26.47 million to 26.82 million in October.
The number of telephone subscribers in India decreased from 1,171.92 million to 1,170.45 million. Urban telephone subscriptions decreased from 651.61 million to 649.99 million. However, rural subscriptions also increased from 520.30 million to 520.46 million.
During October, a total of 11.81 million requests were received for mobile number portability (MNP).
e-commerce
Samsung Galaxy S26 series now available for instant delivery on Instamart
AI powered flagship phones start at Rs 87,999 with launch offers up to Rs 9,000.
MUMBAI: In the age of quick commerce, even flagship smartphones are learning to arrive at your doorstep at lightning speed. Instamart has partnered with Samsung to make the newly launched Galaxy S26 series available for instant purchase on the quick commerce platform, expanding the category beyond groceries and daily essentials into premium consumer electronics.
The Galaxy S26 lineup, which includes the S26 Ultra, S26+ and S26, is now available across several major Indian cities including Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Pune, among others.
The flagship series introduces several new features, led by what Samsung describes as the world’s first built in Privacy Display on a smartphone, available exclusively on the Galaxy S26 Ultra. The display is designed to enhance privacy while unlocking a new class of screen experiences.
The devices also integrate agentic artificial intelligence designed to quietly manage routine tasks in the background, allowing users to focus on more meaningful interactions with their device.
Positioned as a major step forward in AI powered smartphones, the Galaxy S26 Ultra also introduces enhancements in areas such as nightography photography and Photo Assist tools, aimed at improving low light imaging and AI driven creative editing.
Through the partnership, Instamart is extending its quick commerce proposition to high value electronics, allowing customers to order the Galaxy S26 series and receive it almost instantly once sales go live.
The Galaxy S26 series will be available starting at Rs 87,999. As part of the launch offers on Instamart, customers can avail an instant discount of up to Rs 9,000 using an HDFC Bank credit card. Buyers can also opt for No Cost EMI options for up to 9 months.
The move reflects the growing overlap between quick commerce and consumer electronics, as platforms race to deliver not just groceries but also premium technology products with the same promise of speed and convenience.
