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Jio Leads Telecom Growth with Strong Subscriber Gains in 2026

Reliance Jio recorded healthy subscriber additions in January 2026, adding 1.6 million wireless users according to a JM Financial report. The telecom industry overall showed recovery, adding 2.4 million subscribers during the same period. Jio continues to dominate the home broadband segment, driven by an aggressive push of JioAirFiber technology. The company maintains a commanding 70.9% market share in the 5G Fixed Wireless Access sub-segment.

Key Points: Jio Subscriber Growth & Broadband Leadership in 2026

  • Jio added 1.6M wireless subscribers
  • Leads home broadband with 70.9% 5G FWA share
  • Industry added 2.4M subs in Jan 2026
  • Vodafone Idea lost 0.7M subscribers
2 min read

Jio sees healthy subscriber additions, continues to lead home broadband segment: JM Financial

Reliance Jio adds 1.6M wireless users and leads home broadband with 70.9% 5G FWA share, per JM Financial report on January 2026 data.

"Jio continued to add robust 0.78mn home broadband subs in Jan'26 driven by its aggressive push of JioAirFiber - JM Financial"

New Delhi, March 20

Reliance Jio has recorded healthy wireless subscriber additions and continues to maintain its leadership in the home broadband segment, according to a report by JM Financial.

The report noted that the telecom industry's overall net wireless subscriber additions--excluding machine-to-machine (M2M) subscribers and 5G fixed wireless access (FWA)--continued to recover in January 2026.

The industry added 2.4 million wireless subscribers in January 2026, compared with 1.5 million in December 2025, 0.9 million in November 2025 and 0.4 million in October 2025.

Among telecom operators, Reliance Jio Infocomm added 1.6 million subscribers, Bharti Airtel added 1.2 million, while Bharat Sanchar Nigam added 0.4 million subscribers. In contrast, Vodafone Idea lost 0.7 million subscribers during the same period.

The report highlighted that Jio's net overall wireless subscriber gain, excluding M2M subscribers, stood at 1.6 million in January 2026, slightly lower than 1.8 million in December 2025. Its Visitor Location Register (VLR), a measure of active subscribers, remained steady month-on-month at 98.3 per cent in January 2026.

In the home broadband segment, which includes fibre-to-the-home (FTTH), UBR and 5G FWA, Jio continued to register strong subscriber additions in January 2026. This growth was driven by the company's aggressive expansion of JioAirFiber using UBR technology.

JM Financial stated "Jio continued to add robust 0.78mn home broadband subs in Jan'26 driven by its aggressive push of JioAirFiber"

In the 5G FWA sub-segment, excluding UBR, Jio added 0.25 million subscribers in January 2026, compared with 0.28 million in December 2025.

Despite a slight moderation, the company continued to lead this segment with a market share of 70.9 per cent at the end of January 2026.

As per TRAI data, Reliance Jio remains the largest telecom service provider in India. In the wireless (fixed wireless and mobile) access broadband category, Jio had a subscriber base of 503.57 million as of January 31, 2026, followed by Bharti Airtel with 348.91 million and Vodafone Idea with 128.97 million.

In the fixed wired access broadband segment, Jio led with 13.99 million subscribers, followed by Bharti Airtel at 10.38 million and BSNL at 4.47 million.

Overall, in the combined broadband (wired and wireless) segment, Jio had a total subscriber base of 517.56 million, compared with 359.29 million for Bharti Airtel and 128.97 million for Vodafone Idea.

The total number of wireless subscribers in India increased to 1266.34 million at the end of January 2026, up from 1258.77 million at the end of December 2025, reflecting a continued recovery in the telecom sector.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
While the numbers are impressive, I hope this dominance doesn't lead to complacency on customer service. Sometimes getting issues resolved with Jio can be a hassle. Competition is healthy for consumers.
V
Vikram M
Vodafone Idea losing 7 lakh subscribers is worrying. We need at least 3 strong private players. If Vi collapses, it will be a duopoly. TRAI should ensure a level playing field.
S
Sarah B
The data shows a clear recovery in the sector. JioAirFiber reaching tier-2 and tier-3 cities is crucial for digital India. Bridging the urban-rural internet divide is key.
R
Rohit P
Airtel is still holding strong! 1.2 million additions is no small feat. Their postpaid plans and international roaming are better in my experience. Jio leads on price, Airtel on service quality.
K
Karthik V
Good to see BSNL adding subscribers. As a government company, it's important for national security and serving remote areas where private players may not go. Hope their 4G rollout speeds up.
M
Michael C
The 70.9% market share in 5G FWA is staggering. Jio has executed its strategy perfectly. From disrupting the market

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