India’s telephone subscriber base increased by 7.23 million in September 2026, taking the total to 1,367.93 million, according to the latest data released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on 27 October. Broadband subscriptions also continued to rise, while mobile number portability requests crossed 16.7 million during the month.
The report points to continued growth across India’s telecom market, including mobile connectivity, fixed broadband and 5G-based fixed wireless access. However, the headline subscriber figures include different types of connections, so they should not be interpreted as a count of individual mobile users.
India’s telecom subscriber base reaches 1.368 billion
India’s total telephone subscriber base rose from 1,360.70 million in August to 1,367.93 million in September, recording monthly growth of 0.53%.
Wireless connections accounted for most of the increase. The wireless subscriber base, which includes mobile connections and fixed wireless access, increased by approximately 6.94 million. Wireline connections added another 0.29 million during the month.
| Telecom indicator | August 2026 | September 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Total telephone subscribers | 1,360.70 million | 1,367.93 million |
| Monthly net additions | 6.42 million | 7.23 million |
| Wireless subscribers, including FWA | 1,312.25 million | 1,319.19 million |
| Wireline subscribers | 48.45 million | 48.74 million |
| Total broadband subscribers | 1,101.21 million | 1,107.68 million |
The figures show that wireless connectivity remained the principal driver of overall subscriber growth. Wireline connections also increased, indicating continued expansion in fixed-line services.
Mobile subscriptions reach 1.3 billion
TRAI reported 1,300 million wireless mobile connections at the end of September, up from 1,293.43 million in August. This represents an increase of approximately 6.57 million connections and monthly growth of 0.51%.
The distinction between mobile connections and consumer SIMs is important. The reported 1.3 billion figure includes machine-to-machine (M2M) cellular connections, which are used by connected devices and equipment rather than necessarily representing individual mobile customers.
Excluding M2M connections, the number of wireless mobile connections stood at 1,155.15 million in September. Of these, 1,212.80 million wireless mobile connections were reported as active on the respective peak Visitor Location Register (VLR) dates when M2M connections are included, equivalent to approximately 93.29% of the reported wireless mobile base.
These figures measure different things: the subscriber base counts reported connections, while VLR data indicates how many were active on the relevant peak date. Neither figure should be treated as a direct count of unique people.
Jio, Airtel and Vi: What the operator data shows
The September report includes operator-wise wireless mobile subscriber figures and monthly additions. These figures require care because the wireless mobile totals include M2M connections, and therefore are not a pure comparison of consumer mobile SIMs.
In the reported wireless mobile subscriber table, Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel recorded the largest monthly additions among the major private operators. Jio added approximately 2.71 million connections, while Airtel added around 2.69 million. Vodafone Idea added approximately 0.55 million.
| Operator | September net additions, approximately |
|---|---|
| Reliance Jio | 2.71 million |
| Bharti Airtel | 2.69 million |
| Vodafone Idea (Vi) | 0.55 million |
| BSNL | 0.63 million |
| MTNL | -0.007 million |
These figures are based on TRAI’s operator-wise wireless mobile subscriber table, which includes M2M connections. They should not be read as consumer-only SIM additions.
The data shows that Jio and Airtel were closely matched in reported net additions during September, while Vi also recorded an increase. BSNL gained connections, whereas MTNL registered a small decline.
A full consumer-mobile comparison needs to separate M2M connections from each operator’s total. The headline figures alone do not establish how many individual consumers joined or left each operator during the month.
Broadband subscriptions cross 1.107 billion
India’s broadband subscriber base increased from 1,101.21 million in August to 1,107.68 million in September, a monthly rise of 0.59%.
The increase was spread across wired and wireless services.
| Broadband category | August 2026 | September 2026 | Monthly growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wired broadband | 48.63 million | 48.89 million | 0.54% |
| Fixed wireless access broadband | 19.34 million | 19.70 million | 1.84% |
| Mobile wireless access broadband | 1,033.24 million | 1,039.09 million | 0.57% |
| Total broadband | 1,101.21 million | 1,107.68 million | 0.59% |
Mobile wireless access remained the largest component of India’s broadband market. Fixed wireless access grew faster in percentage terms during September, although its subscriber base remains much smaller than mobile broadband.
TRAI’s broadband figures include mobile broadband connections, so they should not be interpreted as the number of fixed broadband homes or individual broadband customers.
Jio leads the reported broadband subscriber base
TRAI’s operator-wise broadband figures put Reliance Jio in first place, followed by Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea.
| Broadband service provider | Subscribers in September 2026 |
|---|---|
| Reliance Jio | 541.17 million |
| Bharti Airtel | 388.86 million |
| Vodafone Idea | 131.00 million |
| BSNL | 28.55 million |
These totals cover wired and wireless broadband services, including mobile broadband. They are not a ranking of home broadband connections alone.
For a fixed-line comparison, TRAI separately reported 14.92 million fixed wired access broadband subscribers for Jio and 11.55 million for Airtel. BSNL had 4.59 million fixed wired broadband subscribers.
This distinction matters when comparing operators’ home broadband businesses. Mobile broadband subscribers and fixed broadband customers use different service models, even though both are counted in the broader broadband market.
5G fixed wireless access subscriptions continue to rise
India’s 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) subscriber base increased from 13.45 million in August to 13.61 million in September, adding around 0.16 million connections.
FWA uses wireless network technology to provide fixed-location broadband connectivity. Depending on the service, it can offer an alternative to a conventional wired broadband connection, particularly where fibre deployment is limited or less practical.
TRAI also reported 5.58 million FWA connections using unlicensed-band radio technology at the end of September. Together, the reported FWA categories show the growing role of wireless technology in fixed-location internet access.
The monthly increase in 5G FWA subscriptions is a useful indicator of adoption, but the subscriber total alone does not reveal how many users have switched from wired broadband or how much revenue operators are earning from these services.
16.77 million mobile number portability requests in September
A total of 16.77 million subscribers submitted mobile number portability (MNP) requests during September, up from approximately 15.83 million in August.
MNP allows customers to retain their mobile numbers when switching service providers. The volume of requests therefore provides an indication of switching activity across the market.
However, a porting request is not the same as a completed switch, and the aggregate figure does not identify which operator gained or lost customers as a result. It should not be used on its own to claim that subscribers are abandoning a particular operator.
Among the service areas, Uttar Pradesh East recorded the highest number of requests in September, at approximately 2.49 million. Uttar Pradesh West recorded around 1.68 million, while Madhya Pradesh recorded approximately 1.59 million.
These figures provide an additional way to examine regional telecom activity alongside subscriber additions.
Urban and rural connectivity both increase
TRAI’s data shows that telephone subscriptions rose in both urban and rural areas during September.
Urban telephone subscriptions increased from 802.28 million to 807.78 million, while rural subscriptions rose from 558.43 million to 560.16 million.
Urban areas accounted for the larger absolute increase, but rural subscriptions also grew. The report recorded monthly growth of 0.69% in urban telephone subscriptions and 0.31% in rural subscriptions.
These totals include wireless and wireline connections. They should therefore be understood as telephone subscriptions rather than a count of unique urban or rural residents with phones.
What September’s TRAI data means for India’s telecom market
The September figures show continued growth in India’s overall telephone and broadband subscriber bases. Jio and Airtel recorded closely matched additions in the reported wireless mobile table, while broadband subscriptions increased across wired, mobile and fixed wireless categories.
The rise in 5G FWA subscriptions is also worth tracking because it provides a separate measure of wireless broadband expansion beyond conventional mobile access. Meanwhile, the high number of MNP requests highlights the scale of switching activity, although requests alone cannot determine which operator benefited.
For a meaningful assessment of operator performance, subscriber totals should be read alongside consumer-only mobile figures, active subscriber data, broadband categories and regional trends. TRAI’s monthly reports provide the underlying data needed to follow these measures over time.
