India's telephone subscriber base crosses 1.35 billion in July 2026

India's telephone subscriber base surged to 1.35 billion in July 2026, an increase of 6.20 million users. TRAI data shows growth in wireless, wireline, and broadband connections, with Reliance Jio maintaining its market leadership.

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India logo (Image/X/@TRAI)

India's total telephone subscriber base rose by 6.20 million in July 2026 to 1.35 billion, registering a monthly growth of 0.46 per cent, as both wireless and wireline connections expanded, according to data released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Friday.

The wireless subscriber base grew 0.46 per cent to 1.31 billion, while wireline connections increased 0.39 per cent to 48.01 million.

Broadband and Market Share Insights

Broadband subscriptions continued to expand, rising from 1.09 billion at the end of June to 1.094 billion in July, a monthly growth rate of 0.64 per cent. Mobile wireless access remained the largest contributor, with subscriptions increasing 0.59 per cent to 1.03 billion. Fixed wireless access (FWA) subscriptions grew faster, rising 2.60 per cent to 18.84 million, while fixed wired broadband subscriptions increased 0.90 per cent to 48.14 million.

The broadband market remained highly concentrated, with the top five service providers accounting for 98.59 per cent of the total broadband subscriber base. Reliance Jio led with 535.12 million subscribers, followed by Bharti Airtel with 384.23 million and Vodafone Idea with 129.96 million. BSNL and Atria Convergence Technologies ranked fourth and fifth with 27.28 million and 2.47 million subscribers, respectively.

Mobile and 5G Connectivity Expansion

Mobile connectivity also strengthened during the month. Wireless mobile subscribers increased by 5.54 million to 1.29 billion, while wireless tele-density rose to 90.04 per cent from 89.71 per cent in June. Urban mobile subscriptions grew 0.57 per cent, compared with 0.24 per cent growth in rural areas.

The growth was accompanied by continued expansion in 5G-based fixed wireless services. The number of 5G FWA subscribers increased to 13.21 million in July from 12.94 million in June, adding 272,820 connections during the month. Rural subscribers accounted for 50.31 per cent of the 5G FWA base, slightly ahead of urban subscribers at 49.69 per cent.

Mobile Number Portability

Meanwhile, mobile number portability remained active, with 15.98 million subscribers submitting porting requests in July. Uttar Pradesh (East) recorded the highest number of requests at 2.29 million, followed by Uttar Pradesh (West) at 1.55 million.

The data point to continued expansion of India's digital connectivity base, with broadband and wireless services driving subscriber growth while 5G FWA gains traction across both urban and rural markets. (ANI)

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