India Hits 1 Billion Broadband Users, Fuels 6G Ambitions for Digital Dominance

The surge in connectivity aligns with the government's focus on advanced telecommunications infrastructure. Earlier this month, Union Minister of Communications, Jyotiraditya Scindia, addressed the progress of the Bharat 6G Alliance, which was established in 2023 under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Speaking to reporters in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, Scindia noted that India had not been represented in the establishment of such technology in the past. He stated that the government set a goal to establish at least 10 per cent of India's Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and patents in the 6G domain.

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) also noted that it ended 2025 on a high note, achieving landmark milestones in connectivity, digital infrastructure, and telecom self-reliance.

A Year-End Review statement released by the Ministry of Communications highlighted unprecedented growth in internet and mobile penetration, rapid nationwide rollout of 5G services, and major strides in indigenous technology development.

One of the most significant milestones of the year was the launch of the National Broadband Mission (NBM) 2.0 in January 2025, aimed at accelerating India's digital transformation.

The mission envisions extending high-speed broadband to villages, schools, health centres and other anchor institutions, aligning with the government's vision of a "Viksit Bharat" by 2047.

India's telecom footprint expanded rapidly during the year. Internet connections crossed the one-billion mark, reaching over 100 crore, a nearly fourfold increase from 2014.

Broadband subscriptions surged to nearly 100 crore, while average monthly data consumption per wireless subscriber rose dramatically to 24 GB, placing India among the world's highest data consumers. Median mobile broadband speeds also saw a sharp jump, touching over 130 Mbps by October 2025.

The rollout of 5G emerged as a defining achievement.

- ANI