India’s telecom subscriber base continued to expand in July, with 5G FWA, broadband and mobile number portability emerging as key industry trends.
The TRAI July 2026 report shows that India’s overall telephone subscriber base increased by 6.20 million during July 2026, taking the total to 1.354 billion connections at the end of the month. The latest figures also highlight continued growth in broadband, 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) and mobile subscriptions, while a high number of Mobile Number Portability (MNP) requests points to continued movement between telecom operators.
The TRAI July 2026 report was released on August 28 and is based on information submitted by telecom service providers. While the headline subscriber number is important, the underlying figures show a more nuanced picture of India’s telecom market, with mobile, wireline and FWA segments moving at different rates.
TRAI July 2026 Report Puts Subscriber Base at 1.354 Billion
India ended July with 1,354.28 million total telephone subscribers, compared with 1,348.08 million at the end of June. That represents a net addition of 6.20 million connections and a monthly growth rate of 0.46%. Wireless connections accounted for most of the increase, while the wireline segment also added subscribers during the month.
The overall figure includes wireless and wireline connections, with the wireless category covering mobile connections as well as Fixed Wireless Access. TRAI also includes M2M cellular connections in relevant wireless and tele-density calculations, making it important to distinguish the headline telephone subscriber number from the consumer mobile subscriber base.
The wireless subscriber base stood at 1,306.27 million at the end of July, while the wireline base reached 48.01 million. Wireless subscriptions increased by 6.02 million during the month, compared with a 0.19 million increase in wireline connections.
5G FWA Crosses 13.2 Million Connections
One of the strongest signals in the TRAI July 2026 report is the continued expansion of 5G FWA services. The number of 5G FWA subscribers increased from 12.94 million in June to 13.21 million in July, representing an addition of about 272,820 connections in one month.
The rural contribution is particularly notable because 6.64 million of the 13.21 million 5G FWA connections were located in rural areas. That represents 50.31% of the total 5G FWA base, slightly higher than the 49.69% share recorded for urban areas.
This distribution indicates that 5G FWA is not developing only as an urban broadband alternative. The technology can also provide fixed internet connectivity in locations where laying fibre directly to every home can be slower or more expensive.
Jio Maintains Dominance in 5G FWA
Reliance Jio remained the largest 5G FWA provider in the latest TRAI data. Jio had 9.27 million 5G FWA connections at the end of July, compared with 3.94 million for Bharti Airtel. Together, the two operators accounted for the entire 5G FWA subscriber base reported in the TRAI data.
Based on these figures, Jio’s share works out to roughly 70.2%, while Airtel accounts for approximately 29.8%. Jio also added around 155,869 5G FWA connections during July, compared with Airtel’s 116,951 additions.
The numbers underline the importance of FWA in India’s next phase of broadband expansion. Instead of requiring a physical fibre connection into every premises, operators can use 5G radio access to deliver fixed broadband services to homes and businesses within suitable coverage areas.
Broadband Subscriber Base Moves Higher
The TRAI July 2026 report also recorded continued growth in India’s overall broadband subscriber base. Total broadband subscriptions increased from 1,087.50 million in June to 1,094.48 million in July, representing monthly growth of 0.64%.
Mobile broadband remains the dominant component of this market, with 1,027.50 million mobile wireless broadband connections at the end of July. Fixed wired broadband stood at 48.14 million, while wireless FWA across different technologies reached 18.84 million.
Reliance Jio remained the largest broadband service provider overall with 535.12 million connections, followed by Bharti Airtel with 384.23 million. Vodafone Idea had 129.96 million, while BSNL stood at 27.28 million.
These figures include both wired and wireless broadband, meaning the rankings should not be interpreted as a direct comparison of fixed broadband businesses alone.
Airtel Leads July Mobile Additions
The operator-level figures in the TRAI July 2026 report show Bharti Airtel leading monthly wireless subscriber additions. Airtel added approximately 2.69 million wireless subscribers during July, taking its wireless base to about 489.49 million.
Reliance Jio added approximately 2.45 million wireless subscribers during the same month and ended July with about 506.03 million wireless connections. Vodafone Idea recorded a decline of approximately 23,206 subscribers, while BSNL added 10,630 wireless subscribers.
The figures show that Airtel’s monthly addition was higher than Jio’s, although Jio continued to maintain a larger overall wireless subscriber base. The July data therefore points to continued competition between the two largest private telecom operators even as their strategies increasingly focus on monetisation and 5G adoption.
Jio Records 98.82% Active VLR Ratio
The active subscriber numbers provide another useful indicator in the TRAI July 2026 report. TRAI said 1,204.01 million wireless mobile subscribers were active on the date of peak VLR during July, representing 93.48% of the total wireless mobile subscriber base.
Reliance Jio recorded a VLR-to-HLR ratio of 98.82%, meaning almost all of its reported mobile subscriber base was active according to TRAI’s VLR methodology on the relevant peak date. Airtel recorded an even higher ratio of 99.12%, the highest among the major operators.
VLR data should not be confused with a simple count of unique customers using a network every day. TRAI’s methodology measures subscribers registered in the Visitor Location Register on the date of peak VLR, providing an indication of the active portion of the reported subscriber base.
15.98 Million MNP Requests Show High Subscriber Mobility
Another major takeaway from the TRAI July 2026 report is the scale of mobile number portability activity. Around 15.98 million subscribers submitted MNP requests during July, allowing them to seek a change of telecom operator while retaining their existing mobile numbers.
Uttar Pradesh East recorded the highest number of requests at approximately 2.29 million, followed by Uttar Pradesh West at 1.55 million. Madhya Pradesh recorded around 1.52 million requests, while Bihar registered approximately 1.47 million.
However, MNP requests should not automatically be interpreted as completed operator switches or direct subscriber losses for a particular telecom company. A porting request represents an intention to move a number, and the final completed port may differ.
Rural Telecom Growth Remains Important
The TRAI July 2026 report also shows that rural India continues to contribute significantly to telecom growth. Total rural telephone subscribers reached 557.59 million at the end of July, compared with 796.68 million in urban areas. Rural subscribers accounted for 41.17% of India’s overall telephone subscriber base.
The rural contribution becomes even more interesting in the 5G FWA segment, where rural connections actually represented a slightly larger share than urban connections. This suggests that fixed wireless broadband could become an important connectivity option in areas where conventional fibre deployment remains challenging.
For operators, the opportunity is not limited to mobile services. Home broadband, enterprise connectivity and FWA can provide additional avenues for monetising existing 5G infrastructure.
5G FWA Could Change India’s Broadband Landscape
The 5G FWA numbers in the TRAI July 2026 report are significant because they represent a relatively new broadband category compared with conventional wired connections. FWA allows telecom operators to provide fixed-location broadband through wireless 5G connectivity rather than a fibre cable running directly to the customer’s premises.
For consumers, the biggest advantage is potentially faster deployment. An operator can provide service to eligible homes within a covered area without necessarily undertaking the same last-mile fibre installation required for FTTH.
However, FWA performance depends on several factors, including network capacity, signal conditions, spectrum availability and the number of customers connected to a particular cell. As adoption grows, operators will need to manage capacity carefully to maintain consistent broadband performance.
What the July Data Means for Jio, Airtel and Vi
The latest figures present different stories for India’s major private operators. Airtel had the strongest monthly wireless addition among the major operators, while Jio retained the largest wireless subscriber base and an overwhelming lead in 5G FWA.
Vodafone Idea, meanwhile, recorded another monthly decline in wireless subscribers. Its July reduction of 23,206 connections was significantly smaller than the losses seen during some previous periods, but it nevertheless highlights the challenge the operator faces in stabilising its customer base.
BSNL added 10,630 wireless subscribers during July, while its broadband business remains significantly smaller than those of Jio and Airtel. The state-run operator’s future growth will depend increasingly on its 4G expansion, 5G plans and fibre broadband strategy.
TRAI July 2026 Report Highlights a Changing Telecom Market
The TRAI July 2026 report paints a picture of an Indian telecom market that continues to grow, but with growth increasingly coming from multiple connectivity formats. The country’s total telephone subscriber base crossed 1.354 billion, broadband subscriptions moved above 1.09 billion and 5G FWA connections crossed 13.2 million.
At the same time, nearly 16 million MNP requests in a single month demonstrate that subscribers remain willing to evaluate competing operators and potentially move between networks. This makes pricing, network quality, 5G availability and bundled services increasingly important for telecom companies.
The biggest structural development may ultimately be the rise of FWA. With rural India accounting for more than half of the 5G FWA base and Jio controlling around 70.2% of the segment, the category is already becoming an important part of India’s broadband landscape.
For the telecom industry, the July numbers therefore go beyond simple subscriber additions. They show that India’s next phase of connectivity growth will be shaped by 5G, fixed wireless broadband, rural expansion and increasingly active competition between operators.
Source: Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), Telecom Subscription Data at the end of July 2026.
