Wireless Subscribers Drive Overall Growth
The total number of wireless subscribers, including mobile and fixed wireless access (FWA) users, rose from 1,250.56 million in November 2025 to 1,258.77 million in December. This represents a net addition of over 8.21 million wireless subscribers during the month.
Urban wireless subscriptions increased to 720.15 million, while rural subscriptions grew to 538.62 million. The monthly growth rate stood at 0.96 percent in urban areas and 0.25 percent in rural regions, indicating sustained demand for mobile connectivity across the country.
Tele-density Continues to Improve
India’s overall tele-density, including machine-to-machine (M2M) connections, improved from 91.20 percent in November to 91.74 percent in December 2025. Urban tele-density increased to 148.92 percent, while rural tele-density rose to 59.63 percent.
The data highlights the persistent digital divide between urban and rural areas, even as rural connectivity continues to show gradual improvement. Delhi recorded the highest tele-density, while Bihar remained at the lower end among licensed service areas.
Broadband Subscribers Cross One Billion
India’s broadband subscriber base crossed the one-billion milestone in December 2025, reaching 1,007.35 million. This marks a net addition of 3.70 million broadband subscribers during the month, with an overall growth rate of 0.37 percent.
Mobile wireless broadband continued to dominate, accounting for over 947 million users. Fixed wireless access, including 5G FWA services, recorded the highest growth rate, reflecting increasing adoption of high-speed home and enterprise broadband solutions.
Top Telecom and Broadband Service Providers
Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited retained its leadership position with over 514 million broadband subscribers, followed by Bharti Airtel with more than 314 million users. Vodafone Idea, BSNL and Atria Convergence Technologies completed the list of the top five broadband service providers.
In the wireless segment, private operators continued to dominate, holding over 92 percent market share, while public sector undertakings such as BSNL and MTNL accounted for the remaining share.
Growth in 5G Fixed Wireless Access and M2M Connections
The number of 5G-based fixed wireless access subscribers increased to nearly 11 million by the end of December 2025, with an almost equal split between urban and rural users. Unlicensed band radio-based FWA services also continued to expand, particularly in semi-urban regions.
Machine-to-machine cellular connections saw a sharp rise, increasing from 103.48 million in November to 109.19 million in December. Bharti Airtel accounted for the largest share of M2M connections, followed by Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea.
High Mobile Number Portability Activity
Mobile Number Portability (MNP) activity remained robust during December 2025, with over 16.12 million porting requests submitted nationwide. Uttar Pradesh (East), Uttar Pradesh (West), Madhya Pradesh and Bihar recorded the highest number of porting requests.
The sustained MNP activity reflects competitive market dynamics and increasing consumer awareness regarding service quality and pricing.
Active Wireless Users Remain High
Out of the total 1,244.20 million wireless mobile subscribers, around 1,162.97 million users were active during the peak Visitor Location Register period in December. This translates to an active subscriber ratio of approximately 93.47 percent.
According to TRAI, Bharti Airtel recorded the highest proportion of active users, while BSNL reported the lowest ratio among major operators.
