India’s total telephone connections rose 10.81% to 1.33 billion, with urban subscriptions nearing 779 million.
New Delhi: India’s internet user base crossed 1.09 billion in the financial year 2025-26, while mobile data consumption surged nearly 25 per cent and telecom companies saw an increase in average revenue per user, highlighting the rapid expansion of the country’s digital economy, according to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) annual performance report released on Monday.
The total number of internet subscribers rose to 1.09 billion as of March 31, 2026, from 969.1 million a year earlier, registering an annual growth of 12.76 per cent.
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Broadband users cross 1.06 billion
Broadband connections accounted for the overwhelming majority of India’s internet users.
The number of broadband subscribers increased 12.9 per cent during FY26 to 1.066 billion. Narrowband subscribers also increased to 26.91 million.
The figures underline the continued shift towards high-speed internet access across the country, driven largely by mobile broadband services.
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Indians are using more mobile data than ever
Mobile data consumption recorded another sharp rise during the year.
Wireless data subscribers crossed the one-billion mark, reaching 1.027 billion by the end of FY26.
Total wireless data usage jumped 24.74 per cent year-on-year to 2,85,376 petabytes.
Average monthly wireless data consumption per subscriber also climbed significantly, rising to 25.51 GB in FY26 from 21.53 GB the previous year. That represents an increase of 18.49 per cent.
Wireless data revenue rises to Rs 2.39 lakh crore
The surge in data use was accompanied by higher revenues for the telecom sector.
Revenue generated from wireless data services increased 11.53 per cent to Rs 2.39 lakh crore during FY26, according to TRAI data.
Average revenue per user, or ARPU, for wireless services also rose to Rs 180.73 per month, compared with Rs 174.46 in FY25.
The rise in ARPU indicates that telecom operators earned more on average from each wireless subscriber during the year.
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India’s total phone connections reach 1.33 billion
India’s overall telephone subscriber base also expanded sharply.
Total telephone subscriptions increased 10.81 per cent to 1.33 billion by the end of March 2026, compared with the previous year.
At the same time, overall tele-density- the number of telephone connections per 100 people- improved to 93.26 per cent, from 85.04 per cent a year earlier.
Urban markets drive telecom growth
Urban India remained the biggest driver of the expansion.
Telephone subscriptions in urban areas rose by nearly 17 per cent to 778.79 million. Urban tele-density also climbed substantially to 151.47 per cent.
In rural areas, telephone subscriptions increased to 551.79 million, while rural tele-density improved to 60.46 per cent.
The tele-density figures can exceed 100 per cent in urban areas because they count connections rather than unique individuals.
Wireless subscribers touch 1.28 billion
Wireless services continued to dominate India’s telecom market.
Total wireless subscribers, including mobile users and fixed wireless access (FWA) users, increased by 118.58 million during FY26 to reach 1.28 billion.
The latest TRAI figures point to continued strong growth in internet adoption, mobile data consumption and telecom revenues, reinforcing the scale of India’s rapidly expanding digital connectivity.
IANS
Published: 05 Oct 2026, 09:56 pm IST
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