India's wireless subscriber base expands to nearly 1300 million in May 2026: TRAI
New Delhi, June 25
The number of wireless subscribers increased from 1288.96 million at the end of April 2026 to 1294.46 million at the end of May 2026. This expansion represents a monthly growth rate of 0.43 per cent for the country's wireless sector, according to a Telecom Regulatory Authority of India report, which highlighted steady upward movement across both urban and rural markets.
Total wireless subscriptions in urban areas increased from 739.78 million in April 2026 to 744.36 million in May 2026. Simultaneously, the subscription in rural areas also increased from 549.18 million to 550.11 million during the same period. The monthly growth rate of urban and rural wireless subscriptions stood at 0.62 per cent and 0.17 per cent, respectively.
This growth directly impacted the overall connectivity metrics of the nation. The wireless tele-density in India increased from 90.28 per cent at the end of April 2026 to 90.61 per cent at the end of May 2026.
According to the data, the urban wireless tele-density increased from 143.69 per cent at the end of April 2026 to 144.39 per cent at the end of May 2026. The rural wireless tele-density increased from 60.16 per cent to 60.25 per cent during the same period.
The regional market distribution remained tilted toward cities. The share of urban and rural wireless subscribers in the total number of wireless subscribers was 57.50 per cent and 42.50 per cent, respectively, at the end of May 2026.
Data from the report showed that the broader telephone market, comprising both wireless and wireline connections, reached a total of 1343.10 million subscribers by the end of May. The overall broadband segment reached 1080.15 million subscribers, driven heavily by wireless broadband services, which accounted for 1032.75 million users.
The market concentration remains highly consolidated among a few dominant players. The top five broadband service providers commanded a combined market share of 98.59 per cent at the end of May 2026.
Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd. led the market with a subscriber base of 529.61 million, followed by Bharti Airtel Ltd. with 376.11 million subscribers. Vodafone Idea Ltd. held the third position with 129.21 million users, while State-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. recorded 27.52 million subscribers. Atria Convergence Technologies Ltd. rounded out the top five with a subscriber base of 2.43 million.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Interesting numbers. Jio dominating with 529 million is no surprise. The top 5 companies having 98.59% market share is concerning though—that's basically an oligopoly. Healthy competition is needed for better prices and service quality.
Actually, I'm a bit skeptical. 0.43% monthly growth seems slow for a country like India. Also, these numbers don't reflect how many are actually using 4G/5G vs just having a SIM card lying around. Many people carry two SIMs but use only one actively. Still, any growth is welcome. 👍
TRAI is doing good work keeping us informed. The broadband figure crossing 1.08 billion is exciting—shows digital India is really taking off. Just wish BSNL could compete better; 27 million for a PSU is disappointing. They need to roll out 4G/5G faster!
Just came back from my village in UP—mobile signals are still patchy there. Glad to see rural numbers increasing but ground reality is different. 60.25% tele-density means 40% of rural areas still have poor or no coverage. Need more towers and fiber! 🇮🇳
These numbers are impressive but let's be real—many subscribers in urban areas have multiple connections (work+personal) so the actual number of unique users is lower. Still, the broadband push is good for the economy. Hope quality follows quantity. 📱
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