India’s telecom sector continued its steady growth in January 2026, with total broadband subscribers rising to 1,052.72 million from 1,050.60 million in December 2025, reflecting a monthly growth rate of 0.20 percent.
Broadband Market
Wireless broadband remains the dominant segment, accounting for 990.95 million subscribers, while fixed wired broadband reached 45.83 million users, according to the latest report from TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India).
Top Broadband Service Providers in India
Reliance Jio Infocomm – 517.56 million subscribers
Bharti Airtel – 359.29 million
Vodafone Idea – 128.97 million
Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL) – 29.64 million
Atria Convergence Technologies – 2.38 million
These five players dominate both wired and wireless broadband segments.
Leading Fixed Wired Broadband Providers
In the fixed wired broadband category, the top providers are:
Reliance Jio – 13.99 million
Bharti Airtel – 10.38 million
BSNL – 4.47 million
Atria Convergence Technologies – 2.38 million
Kerala Vision Broadband – 1.46 million
Top Wireless Broadband Providers
Wireless broadband, including mobile and fixed wireless access, is driven by:
Reliance Jio – 503.57 million
Bharti Airtel – 348.91 million
Vodafone Idea – 128.97 million
BSNL – 25.17 million
IBus Virtual Network Services – 0.12 million
Wireline Subscriber Growth and Tele-density
Wireline telephone subscribers increased from 47.37 million in December 2025 to 47.66 million in January 2026, marking a net addition of 0.29 million and a growth rate of 0.61 percent.
Wireline tele-density improved slightly from 3.33 percent to 3.34 percent. Urban tele-density stood at 8.31 percent, significantly higher than rural tele-density at 0.56 percent. Urban users accounted for 89.36 percent of total wireline subscribers, while rural users contributed 10.64 percent.
Wireless Subscriber Expansion Across India
Total wireless subscribers, including mobile and fixed wireless access, rose from 1,258.77 million to 1,266.34 million, registering a growth rate of 0.60 percent.
Urban wireless subscribers increased to 725.67 million
Rural wireless subscribers rose to 540.67 million
Monthly growth rates were 0.77 percent in urban areas and 0.38 percent in rural regions
Mobile Subscriber Trends
Wireless mobile subscriptions alone grew from 1,244.20 million to 1,250.89 million, reflecting a 0.54 percent increase.
Urban mobile users reached 717.06 million
Rural mobile users stood at 533.83 million
Growth rates were 0.71 percent in urban and 0.31 percent in rural markets
5G Fixed Wireless Access Gains Momentum
The adoption of 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) continues to accelerate, with subscribers increasing from 10.99 million to 11.53 million.
Urban 5G FWA users: 5.83 million
Rural 5G FWA users: 5.70 million
Urban share: 50.55 percent
Rural share: 49.45 percent
Outlook for India Telecom Sector
The January 2026 data underscores steady growth across broadband, wireline, and wireless segments. While wireless services remain the primary growth engine, the gradual rise in fixed broadband and 5G FWA adoption signals increasing demand for high-speed connectivity across both urban and rural India.
SHAFANA FAZAL
