India records 9.28 million new telecom subscribers in March; Broadband base hits 1.06 billion

NEW DELHI: India’s telecommunications sector expanded by 9.28 million subscribers in March 2026, bringing the total number of telephone users in the country to 1,330.58 million.

According to the latest data released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the industry maintained a monthly growth rate of 0.70 per cent. The wireless segment remained the primary engine of this growth, contributing 9.02 million new connections, while wireline services added 0.25 million subscribers during the same period.

The broadband sector reached a significant milestone, with the total subscriber base climbing to 1,065.88 million. This segment, which includes both wired and wireless connections, saw an addition of 6.83 million users over the previous month.

Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd. continued to lead the broadband market with 523.44 million subscribers, followed by Bharti Airtel Ltd. with 368.84 million and Vodafone Idea Ltd. with 128.91 million.

“As per the information received from 1520 operators for the month of March 2026, the total number of broadband subscribers increased from 1059.05 million at the end of February 2026 to 1065.88 million at the end of March 2026 with a monthly growth rate of 0.65%,” the TRAI report stated.

Geographical data showed that urban areas accounted for 778.79 million of the total telephone subscribers, while rural areas reached 551.79 million.

In the wireless segment specifically, rural growth slightly outpaced urban expansion on a percentage basis. Rural wireless subscriptions grew at a rate of 0.74 per cent, adding 4.04 million users, whereas urban wireless subscriptions increased by 0.68 per cent with 4.98 million additions.

“The number of wireless (mobile + Fixed Wireless Access) subscribers increased from 1273.31 million at the end of February 2026 to 1282.33 million at the end of March 2026, thereby registering a monthly growth rate of 0.71%,” the report noted regarding the wireless sector’s performance.

The market remained highly concentrated among the top five broadband service providers, who collectively held a 98.60 per cent market share. Beyond the top three private players, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL) held 27.37 million broadband subscribers, while Atria Convergence Technologies Ltd. recorded 2.40 million. In terms of overall wireless mobile subscriptions, the dominance of the private sector remained clear.

“At the end of March 2026, the private access service providers held 92.64% of the market share in terms of wireless (mobile) subscribers, whereas PSU access service providers viz. BSNL and MTNL together held a market share of 7.36%,” the TRAI reported.

The overall tele-density in the country rose to 93.26 per cent by the end of March. Urban tele-density stood at 151.47 per cent, reflecting a high concentration of devices per individual in cities, while rural tele-density was recorded at 60.46 per cent. Without including M2M cellular mobile connections, the national tele-density was adjusted to 84.57 per cent. (ANI)