Broadband subscription trends in Q1-2025 in India

India’s broadband landscape witnessed a marginal decline in total subscriptions during the March 2025 quarter, according to the latest TRAI report. The number of broadband subscribers fell from 944.96 million in December 2024 to 944.12 million in March 2025.

Wi-Fi broadband users
Wi-Fi broadband users @Freepik

Key Trends and Insights:

Total Broadband Subscribers:
Broadband users stood at 944.12 million, comprising 41.39 million wired and 902.74 million wireless connections.
Mobile devices (phones + dongles) accounted for 95.1 percent of all broadband subscribers.

Leading Service Providers (Wired + Wireless):
The top five operators together serve over 90 percent of the market:

Reliance Jio: 476.58 million

Bharti Airtel: 289.31 million

Vodafone Idea: 126.41 million

BSNL: 34.57 million

Atria Convergence: 2.29 million

Wired Broadband Segment:
Reliance Jio led the wired broadband market with 11.48 million subscribers and a 27.73 percent share, followed by Bharti Airtel at 8.55 million and 20.67 percent share.

Wireless Broadband Segment:
Reliance Jio maintained its dominance with 465.10 million subscribers and 51.52 percent share, while Bharti Airtel held a 31.10 percent share with 280.76 million subscribers.

Top Broadband Regions:
The top five states in broadband adoption were:

Maharashtra – 78.21 million

Uttar Pradesh (East) – 77.01 million

Bihar – 72.29 million

Andhra Pradesh – 71.10 million

Madhya Pradesh – 66.13 million

Internet Access Overview:

Total Internet Subscribers: 969.10 million

Narrowband Subscribers: 24.98 million

Urban vs Rural Split:

Urban: 561.42 million

Rural: 407.69 million

Penetration Rate:

National: 68.6 per 100 population

Urban: 110.79

Rural: 45.03

Other Highlights:

Public Wi-Fi Hotspots: 55,052

Data Consumed via Hotspots: 14,329 TB

Internet Telephony Usage: 70.90 million outgoing minutes

Overall, while broadband adoption remains high, the marginal dip suggests market saturation and possibly seasonal or economic influences. Wireless remains the dominant mode of access, driven by mobile-first usage and aggressive 4G/5G expansion by major players.

Rajani Baburajan

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