Regulators
Trai’s TV Trials & Tribulations
When in late 2003, a few months ahead of the general elections (in early 2004), the then Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition government in Delhi issued a notification bringing broadcast and cable services under the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), media wrote the epitaphs of the information and broadcasting ministry.
The reasoning given then, which in hindsight looks full of holes, was that with broadcasting coming under Trai’s jurisdiction, the ministry would be left with just the ‘I’ and it was only a matter of time before the final nail in the ministry’s coffin would be driven. The final verdict then: I&B ministry RIP.
The truth has been far from that perceived reality.
Though Trai has tried valiantly to grapple with the complex broadcast-related issues, the industry is more or less experiencing the same (growth?) pangs as was the case earlier. And, with new technologies like DTH, broadband and streaming over mobile phones making their appearance, the regulator has found little support from the industry and the government alike on these matters.
What makes things delicate at the moment are reports that a broadcast and cable industry stakeholder has moved the courts questioning the very validity of Trai to hold forth on industry matters. Especially those (like setting a price cap on some services and neutralizing the commercial impact of exclusive content) that govern business activities.
For example, existing and wannabe DTH operators for different reasons have been criticizing the regulator on the ‘must provide’ rule, which envisages making available all content to all delivery platforms on a non-discriminatory basis.
The country’s first private sector DTH operator Dish TV has been crying foul —- and even moved disputes tribunal TDSAT (Telecom Dispute and Settlement Appellate Tribunal) successfully — over the likes of the Sony-Discovery One Alliance and Star bouquet not agreeing to come on board (on commercial terms, of course). The leading pay TV broadcasters, on the other hand, have been shying away from Dish TV on the ground that such a Trai-mandated move will curb their business models even as the issue of piracy of signals would not get addressed.
Trai’s repeated contention that at this point of time it is more bothered about making available all types of content to consumers, thereby giving a go by to exclusivity, has failed to cut much ice.
It is debatable whether the regulator should start tinkering with a business model — exclusive content is definitely going to drive some viewership — in a segment that has just started off in India, but there’s no denying the fact that a consensus on the issue will elude all stakeholders at the moment.
If we try to be Devil’s advocate and petition on behalf of Trai, then we might say that all that the regulator is trying to ensure is that in the name of exclusivity broadcasters do not go in for predatory pricing and bundling which might not be in the best interest of consumers. More so when more players are expected to join the DTH party, which, according to Trai, might just turn out to be beneficial for consumers as aggressive marketing ploys are resorted to by players.
The thinking is on the lines of what happened in the telecom sector. More players, more competition, more benefits for consumers. However, from the broadcaster side of the fence, the picture doesn’t look quite the same. For them, a ban on exclusivity is like saying a general restaurant serving all types of food is always beneficial for consumers. But what about those who want to treat themselves to speciality menu? They go to speciality restaurants. The same way, those people who want to watch a certain type of programming and are willing to pay for it — maybe a bit more — should be allowed to do so.
Then of course there is the long festering issue of cable TV pricing. Trai has been under fire from pay broadcasters for regulating cable TV pricing, which is linked to annual rate of inflation. One such trenchant broadcaster opined, “With Trai being totally ineffective in addressing the issue of under declaration by cable ops, regulating cable TV pricing for over two years now is amounting to interference in business.”
Though the intentions seemingly are honest, the regulator has been unable to bring about the promised transparency in the whole system. For instance, its continued plea to broadcasters and cable operators to give it the pricing of individual channels for public knowledge has not only fallen on deaf ears, but has been defied openly. Add to that the reluctance of stakeholders of the industry to make public commercial deals struck amongst themselves.
A Trai regulation says that all deals between a cable op and a consumer, a broadcaster and a MSO, for example, should be made public so that the public at large would know of the economics involved. But here too, it’s a no go.
A la carte pricing is something that the Indian broadcast industry is shying away from, preferring to give out bundled and packaged prices. However, the industry might note a recent observation of America’s FCC, which is seen by all as a yardstick for regulation.
Coming down heavily on selling bundling of TV channels, FCC earlier in the month noted that consumers could be “better off under an “a la carte” model of pricing as it increases their choices in purchasing programming.
Pointing out discrepancies in a 2004 report by Booz Allen Hamilton, which gave the thumbs up to packaging, FCC said the 2004 report relied upon “unrealistic assumptions” and “presented biased” analyses in concluding that a la carte “would not produce the desired result of lower MVPD (multi-video programming distributors) rates for most pay-television households.”
If Trai thinks that it stands vindicated on many issues, a total lack of support from the government has tied its hands. A Trai report on phased implementation of CAS or addressability in Indian cable homes is not only gathering dust in the I&B ministry, but has been successfully blunted by politicians playing vote bank politics.
Should broadcast and cable services be taken out of Trai’s jurisdiction? And, is a content regulator more important?
The answers to these are tricky. Taking broadcasting and cable services away from Trai would not solve the problem as content regulation is not the only issue facing the industry.
With the $ 3.6 billion broadcast industry of India (including DTH, cable, IPTV, etc), estimated by Media Partners Asia to grow to $ 7.2 billion by 2010, the economies of scale and the investments involved would need not just a content regulator, but one with omnibus powers. A regulator that will firmly step in to take care of consumers’ financial interests too, even while creating an environment for the industry players to carry on fair business practices.
But for that to happen, the Indian government has got to show some spine and have a long-term vision. Blaming Trai for the entire sector’s ills is not going to benefit anybody.
Regulators
India’s telecom base crosses 1.314 billion mark in January 2026
Wireless adds 7.57m to hit 1.266bn, broadband surges past 1.052bn as Jio leads, MNP at 15.98m.
MUMBAI: Ring the changes, India’s telecom sector is off the hook! While the rest of us were busy scrolling through reels, the nation quietly dialled up another blockbuster month of connections, pushing the total telephone subscriber base to a staggering 1.314 billion as of 31 January 2026. That’s a breezy net addition of 7.86 million in just 30 days enough to fill a small city with new SIMs overnight.
The real hero of the story? Wireless. It climbed to 1,266.34 million, adding a cool 7.57 million users at a steady 0.60 per cent monthly growth. Urban wireless jumped 0.77 pr cent to 725.67 million, while rural added 2.98 million to reach 540.67 million. Even after stripping out machine-to-machine (M2M) links, the active wireless (mobile) subscriber count on peak Visitor Location Register day stood at 1,172.10 million, a whopping 93.70 per cent of the 1,250.89 million total wireless mobile base. Bharti Airtel takes the crown here with a near-perfect 99.64 per cent VLR proportion, proving its customers are actually using their phones, not just hoarding them.
Broadband, meanwhile, is having its own glow-up. Total broadband subscribers crossed the magical 1,052.72 million mark, up 2.12 million (0.20 per cent) from December 2025. Break it down and the story gets even tastier: fixed wired access (DSL, FTTx, cable) grew a healthy 0.83% to 45.83 million, fixed wireless access (5G FWA, Wi-Fi, satellite) shot up a sizzling 5.77 per cent to 15.95 million, and mobile wireless (handset/dongle 3G/4G/5G/M2M) nudged 0.09 per cent higher to 990.95 million. In plain English, India is going wireless-first, and fast.
Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd. continues to own the broadband throne with 517.56 million subscribers, that’s a commanding 49.16 per cent market share. Bharti Airtel follows at 359.29 million (34.13 per cent), Vodafone Idea at 128.97 million (12.25 per cent), BSNL at 29.64 million, and Atria Convergence Technologies at 2.38 million. Together, these top five command a dizzying 98.59 per cent of the entire broadband pie. On the fixed-wired side alone, Jio still leads with 13.99 million, followed by Airtel (10.38 million), BSNL (4.47 million), Atria (2.38 million) and Kerala Vision (1.46 million) together holding 71.30 per cent. In wireless broadband (FWA + mobile), Jio’s 503.57 million, Airtel’s 348.91 million and Vodafone Idea’s 128.97 million make the top three almost untouchable at 99.98 per cent combined.
Even the old-school wireline segment refused to be left on hold. It grew 0.61 per cent to 47.66 million, adding 0.29 million net subscribers. Urban wireline sits at 42.59 million (89.36 per cent share), rural at 5.07 million. Private players dominate with 80.60 per cent market share; PSUs (BSNL, MTNL, APSFL) hold the remaining 19.40 per cent. Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio led net additions here too, adding 209,890 and 179,166 lines respectively, while MTNL and BSNL saw small declines.
The numbers that really make you pause? Tele-density figures. Overall, India now boasts 92.22 per cent tele-density (including M2M). Urban areas are practically saturated at 149.84 per cent, while rural has climbed to 59.83 per cent, proof that the digital divide is shrinking, one village tower at a time. Delhi LSA leads the pack at a jaw-dropping 359.98 per cent, Bihar trails at 62.49 per cent. Without M2M, the national figure dips to 84.26 per cent, but the message stays loud and clear, India is more connected than ever.
Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) deserves its own spotlight. 5G FWA subscribers jumped to 11.53 million (urban 5.83 million, rural 5.70 million), while UBR FWA stood at 3.92 million. M2M cellular connections, the silent workhorses powering smart meters and IoT grew to 113.46 million, with Bharti Airtel holding a massive 70.18 million (61.85 per cent share), followed by Jio (20.60 million), Vodafone Idea (18.8 million) and BSNL (3.88 million).
Mobile Number Portability (MNP) requests hit 15.98 million in January 8.97 million from Zone-I and 7.02 million from Zone-II. UP (East) led with 2.33 million, followed by UP (West) at 1.59 million in the north and Madhya Pradesh (1.52 million) plus Bihar (1.44 million) in the south/east. People are clearly shopping around for better deals.
Circle-wise, every category (A, B, C and Metro) posted positive net additions in both wireline and wireless segments. Circle A added 2.79 million wireless and 88,736 wireline, Circle B added 2.69 million wireless and 151,789 wireline. Yearly growth remains impressive too: wireless up 6.92 per cent nationally, wireline up 36.06 per cent. Only Kolkata LSA saw a tiny wireless dip; everywhere else, the green arrows were glowing.
So what does all this mean for the average Indian? More choices, faster 5G FWA rollouts in rural homes, cheaper data plans thanks to fierce competition, and a nation where your phone is no longer a luxury, it’s the default way to live, work, learn and stay connected. The lines are busier, the signals stronger, and India’s telecom story is far from over. In fact, it’s just getting started and the next billion connections are already dialling in.
