New Delhi: India’s telecom sector posted robust growth in FY26, with internet subscribers crossing the 1.09 billion mark, wireless data consumption surging nearly 25 per cent and average revenue per user rising, according to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) annual performance report on Monday.
The report showed that the total number of internet subscribers increased to 1.09 billion as of March 31, 2026, from 969.1 million a year earlier, registering annual growth of 12.76 per cent.
Broadband subscribers accounted for the bulk of the user base at 1.07 billion, as per the data.
Broadband subscriptions rose 12.9 per cent during the year, reaching 1.066 billion users, while narrowband subscribers increased to 26.91 million.
The telecom sector also witnessed growth in consumer spending. Average revenue per user (ARPU) for wireless services increased to Rs 180.73 per month in FY26 from Rs 174.46 in the previous financial year.
India’s appetite for mobile data continued to expand rapidly. Wireless data subscribers crossed the one-billion mark, rising to 1.027 billion at the end of FY26.
Total wireless data usage jumped 24.74 per cent year-on-year to 2,85,376 petabytes. Average monthly wireless data consumption per subscriber climbed to 25.51 GB in FY26 from 21.53 GB a year earlier, marking an increase of 18.49 per cent.
Revenue generated from wireless data services also grew 11.53 per cent to Rs 2.39 lakh crore during the year, according to the data.
The report further showed that overall telephone subscriptions in the country rose 10.81 per cent to 1.33 billion by the end of March 2026.
Overall tele-density improved to 93.26 per cent from 85.04 per cent a year ago. Urban markets remained the key growth driver, with telephone subscriptions in cities rising nearly 17 per cent to 778.79 million.
Urban tele-density increased sharply to 151.47 per cent. Rural telephone subscriptions also registered growth, rising to 551.79 million, while rural tele-density improved to 60.46 per cent.
Wireless services continued to dominate the telecom landscape. Total wireless subscribers, including mobile and fixed wireless access (FWA) users, increased by 118.58 million during the year to reach 1.28 billion.
(IANS)
