India's internet base crosses 1,092 million in Jan-Mar 2026; broadband grows 5.8 per cent QoQ: TRAI
New Delhi, June 22
India's digital base expanded further in the March quarter, with total internet subscribers crossing 1,092 million, TRAI said in its Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicators report for Jan-Mar 2026.
The report said the total number of Internet subscribers increased from 1028.61 million at the end of Dec-25 to 1092.79 million at the end of Mar-26, registering a quarterly growth rate of 6.24 per cent. Of these, wireless internet subscribers stood at 1,046.26 million, while wired subscribers were 46.54 million.
Broadband continued to drive growth. The broadband internet subscriber base increased by 5.81 per cent from 1007.35 million at the end of Dec-25 to 1065.88 million at the end of Mar-26. Narrowband subscribers also rose sharply by 26.62 per cent to 26.91 million. TRAI classified the overall internet base as 1065.88 million broadband and 26.91 million narrowband subscribers.
On the telecom front, total subscribers, including wireless and wireline, stood at 1,330.58 million as of 31st March 2026, up 1.87 per cent over the previous quarter. Wireless subscribers accounted for 1,282.33 million, while wireline subscribers grew 1.86 per cent to 48.25 million. Overall tele-density improved to 93.26 per cent, with urban tele-density at 151.47 per cent and rural tele-density at 60.46 per cent.
Usage metrics also strengthened. TRAI reported a monthly ARPU of wireless service at Rs.196.04, up 0.76 per cent from Rs.194.57 in Dec-25. Minutes of usage per subscriber per month for wireless service stood at 1,017. Average wireless data usage per wireless data subscriber was 26.70 GB per month, with average revenue realisation per GB at Rs.7.51.
Gross Revenue (GR) during the quarter came in at Rs.1,05,118 crore, up 2.58 per cent over the previous quarter, while Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) rose 2.90 per cent to Rs.86,716 crore.
— ANI
Reader Comments
ARPU of Rs.196 is still very low for sustaining quality networks. We need investments in 5G infrastructure. What's the point of having 26GB per month data usage if streaming lags during peak hours? Also, TRAI should ensure transparent billing — my last postpaid bill had hidden charges of ₹50. 🙄
As someone working in Indian telecom, these numbers show how price-sensitive our market is. ₹7.51 per GB is remarkably cheap by global standards. But rural areas still desperately need fiber. I see the data but ground reality in Bihar and UP — even basic 4G is patchy. Let's hope Bharti and Jio improve.
Narrowband subscribers rising 26% is interesting — probably from IoT, POS machines in small shops? But overall, we need to ensure these 1 billion+ users actually get reliable speeds. My high-speed plan often gives me 3-4 Mbps during evenings. TRAI should focus on quality of service, not just subscriber numbers. 📶
Impressive growth. But let's talk about the elephant in the room — data privacy. With 1.09 billion internet users, our digital footprint is massive. The Digital Personal Data Protection Act needs stronger enforcement. Also, why is BSNL still struggling with deployment in rural areas? We need more competition.
Good news, but I'm skeptical about the 1,017 minutes of usage per user. Most people I know spend more time on WhatsApp/YouTube than voice calls. Also, tele-density at 93% means many still don't have a connection. My grandmother's village in Rajasthan still relies on one
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