India’s wireless data consumption continued to climb sharply during 2025-26, with average usage reaching 25.51GB per wireless data subscriber every month, according to the latest annual telecom report released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The regulator’s data also shows strong growth in broadband, fixed wireless access and wireline connections, highlighting how India’s connectivity market is moving beyond traditional mobile services.
TRAI released its Indian Telecom Services Yearly Performance Indicators for 2025-26 on October 5. The report covers the period from April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026 and is compiled mainly from information submitted by telecom service providers.
India’s telecom subscriber base crosses 1.33 billion
The total number of telephone subscribers in India increased from 1,200.80 million at the end of March 2025 to 1,330.58 million by March 2026. That represents annual growth of 10.81%.
Overall tele-density also increased from 85.04% to 93.26% during the same period. Urban telephone subscriptions rose to 778.79 million, while rural subscriptions reached 551.79 million.
The rural market continues to account for a substantial portion of India’s telecom base, although its share of total telephone subscriptions declined from 44.53% to 41.47% during the year.
Average wireless data usage reaches 25.51GB per month
The most notable consumer statistic in the report is the continued rise in mobile data consumption.
TRAI said average wireless data usage per wireless data subscriber increased from 21.53GB per month in 2024-25 to 25.51GB in 2025-26, representing annual growth of 18.49%.
The increase comes as smartphones, 5G networks, video streaming, social media, cloud services and other data-heavy applications become increasingly central to everyday mobile usage.
Total wireless data consumption also increased significantly. Aggregate wireless data usage climbed from 228,779 petabytes in 2024-25 to 285,376 petabytes in 2025-26, an increase of 24.74%.
This means the growth is not simply being driven by a larger subscriber base. Existing users are also consuming substantially more data.
Data revenue rises even as price per GB falls
Telecom operators generated Rs 2,39,874 crore from wireless data usage during 2025-26, compared with Rs 2,15,078 crore a year earlier. TRAI recorded annual growth of 11.53% in wireless data revenue.
At the same time, the average revenue realisation per GB declined from Rs 8.97 to Rs 8.02.
The combination is significant for India’s telecom market. Operators are handling substantially more traffic and generating more total data revenue, but the amount earned from every gigabyte continues to decline.
For consumers, this helps explain why large data allowances have become increasingly common in prepaid and postpaid plans while operators continue investing in network capacity.
Broadband subscriber base crosses 1.06 billion
India’s total internet subscriber base reached 1,092.79 million by the end of March 2026, up from 969.10 million a year earlier. That represents annual growth of 12.76%.
Broadband accounted for most of the connections. TRAI recorded 1,065.88 million broadband subscribers at the end of March 2026, compared with 944.12 million in March 2025.
The broadband subscriber base therefore grew 12.90% during the year. Narrowband connections also increased to 26.91 million, although they remain a small portion of India’s overall internet market.
FWA reaches 16.61 million connections
Fixed wireless access is becoming an increasingly important part of India’s broadband ecosystem.
TRAI recorded 16.61 million FWA subscribers at the end of March 2026. When mobile and FWA connections are combined, India’s total wireless subscriber base stood at 1,282.33 million.
The FWA figure is particularly relevant as operators expand services such as 5G-based home broadband and AirFiber. Unlike traditional fibre connections, FWA can use existing wireless infrastructure to provide fixed connectivity without requiring a physical fibre connection to every home.
This could make the technology useful in locations where last-mile fibre deployment is slower or more expensive.
Wireline connections grow 30.25%
While mobile and FWA receive most of the attention, TRAI’s annual data also reveals a sharp revival in India’s wireline market.
The country’s total wireline subscriber base increased from 37.04 million in March 2025 to 48.25 million in March 2026. That represents annual growth of 30.25%.
Urban areas accounted for 43.06 million wireline connections, while rural areas had 5.19 million.
The strong growth suggests that fibre broadband continues to expand alongside FWA rather than being completely displaced by wireless alternatives. Consumers and businesses are therefore getting more connectivity options depending on location, availability and service requirements.
Wireless subscriber base adds 118.58 million connections
India’s combined mobile and FWA subscriber base increased from 1,163.76 million to 1,282.33 million during 2025-26.
TRAI recorded a net addition of 118.58 million wireless subscribers during the year, taking annual growth to 10.19%.
The mobile-only subscriber base reached 1,265.73 million after adding 108.74 million connections during the financial year.
Wireless tele-density also improved from 82.42% to 89.88%, while rural wireless tele-density increased from 58.67% to 59.89%.
Telecom operators see higher ARPU
India’s wireless ARPU also increased during the financial year.
TRAI said average revenue per wireless subscriber per month rose from Rs 174.46 in 2024-25 to Rs 180.73 in 2025-26, representing annual growth of 3.59%.
Prepaid subscribers recorded an average monthly ARPU of Rs 190.66, while postpaid ARPU stood at Rs 119.76 in the report.
The ARPU increase comes against a backdrop of rising data consumption and higher telecom tariffs, making it an important indicator of the improving revenue environment for operators.
Telecom industry revenue also moves higher
The broader telecom sector recorded higher revenue during 2025-26.
Gross revenue increased from Rs 3,72,097 crore in 2024-25 to Rs 4,04,067 crore in 2025-26, representing growth of 8.59%. Adjusted Gross Revenue increased 10.44% to Rs 3,34,659 crore.
Access services accounted for 83.95% of total AGR during the year.
Spectrum usage charges increased 6.12% to Rs 4,040 crore, while licence fees rose 10.40% to Rs 26,763 crore.
What TRAI’s latest numbers say about India’s telecom market
The annual report paints a picture of an Indian telecom market that is becoming increasingly data-intensive.
More than 1.33 billion telephone subscriptions are now counted in the market, while internet subscriptions have crossed 1.09 billion. Average wireless data consumption has reached 25.51GB per month, broadband subscriptions have crossed 1.06 billion and FWA has emerged as a meaningful new broadband category.
At the same time, wireline subscriptions are growing rapidly, showing that fibre and other fixed connections still have considerable room to expand.
For telecom operators, the challenge is increasingly about handling much larger volumes of data while maintaining network quality and finding sustainable ways to monetise that traffic. For consumers, the numbers point to a market where mobile data, broadband and wireless home connectivity are becoming increasingly interconnected.
TRAI’s 2025-26 annual data therefore offers a broader picture than the monthly subscriber reports: India’s telecom market is not simply adding more connections. Users are consuming substantially more data, broadband is expanding, FWA is gaining ground and wireline connectivity is growing at the same time.
