NewKerala.com

Key Points

India's telephone subscriber base expanded by 3.24 million in May 2025, reaching 1.207 billion users. Urban areas saw faster growth at 0.37% compared to rural regions at 0.14%. Delhi recorded the highest tele-density at 274.29%, while Bihar lagged at 57.57%. Mobile number portability requests surged to 14.03 million, reflecting shifting consumer preferences.

Key Points: India Gains 3.24 Million New Telephone Subscribers in May 2025

  • Urban subscriptions grew faster at 0.37% vs rural 0.14%
  • Tele-density rose to 85.36% nationally
  • Delhi leads with 274.29% tele-density
  • 14.03 million opted for mobile number portability
2 min read

Telephone subscribers in India rose by 3.24 million in May: Govt data

India's telephone subscriber base grew by 3.24 million in May 2025, with urban areas leading at 0.37% growth, as per government data.

"Urban tele-density rose to 131.76% while rural areas saw a modest increase to 59.33% – Ministry of Communications"

New Delhi, June 27

Telephone subscribers in India increased from 1,203.84 million at the end of April to 1,207.08 million at the end of May 2025, showing a monthly growth of 0.27 per cent, official data released by the Ministry of Communications showed Friday.

In absolute terms, the total number of subscribers rose by 3.24 million during the month.

Urban telephone subscriptions increased from 667.19 million at the end of April 2025 to 669.69 million at the end of May 2025, and rural telephone subscriptions also increased from 536.65 million to 537.39 million during the same period.

The monthly growth rates of urban and rural telephone subscriptions were 0.37 per cent and 0.14 per cent, respectively, during the month of May 2025.

The overall tele-density in India increased from 85.19 per cent at the end of April 2025 to 85.36 per cent at the end of May 2025.

The urban tele-density increased from 131.46 per cent at the end of April 2025 to 131.76 per cent at the end of May 2025, and rural tele-density also increased from 59.26 per cent to 59.33 per cent during the same period.

The share of urban and rural subscribers in the total number of telephone subscribers at the end of May 2025 was 55.48 per cent and 44.52 per cent, respectively.

In terms of Localised Service Area (LSA), eight circles had less tele-density than the all-India average tele-density at the end of May 2025.

Delhi service area had the maximum tele-density of 274.29 per cent, and the Bihar service area had the minimum tele-density of 57.57 per cent at the end of May 2025.

Coming to mobile number portability (MNP), 14.03 million subscribers submitted their requests for operator change in May 2025.

In India, the mobile number portability (MNP) was implemented in the Haryana service area in November 2010 and in the rest of the country in January 2011.

Initially, it was available only within the same Licensed Service Area (LSA). Inter-Service Area MNP was implemented in the country effective July 2015, allowing the mobile subscribers to retain their mobile numbers when they relocate from one service area to another.

- ANI

Share this article:

Reader Comments

R
Rajesh K.
Good to see digital India growing! But the rural-urban divide is still concerning. Bihar's tele-density at just 57% shows we need more focus on infrastructure in underdeveloped states. Jio has done wonders, but more players should enter these markets.
P
Priya M.
Delhi's 274% tele-density is crazy! 😲 Does this mean most people have 2-3 connections? Meanwhile in villages, many still share single phones. Hope 5G rollout helps bridge this gap faster. #DigitalDivide
A
Amit S.
Interesting data! But I wish the report also showed how many are active users. Many of us keep old SIMs just for OTPs and backup. The real growth story would be in data consumption patterns.
S
Sunita R.
As someone who recently ported my number, I'm surprised 14 million people changed operators last month! Shows how competitive the market has become. But customer service quality still needs improvement across all telecom companies.
V
Vikram J.
The growth is impressive, but what about call drops and network issues? In my Mumbai office, we still struggle with poor signals. Quantity is increasing, but what about quality? Government should monitor service standards too.
N
Neha P.
Rural tele-density growth is slower than urban (0.14% vs 0.37%). This is worrying. Digital India must reach farmers and small towns faster. Maybe special schemes for rural areas? After all, mobile internet is changing lives in villages too!

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50