India’s telecom sector closed the December 2025 quarter on a strong footing, with steady growth in internet usage, rising wireless revenues and a sharp jump in overall subscriber additions, according to the latest performance report released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
Internet Subscriber Base Crosses 1.02 Billion
The total number of internet subscribers increased from 1,017.81 million at the end of September 2025 to 1,028.61 million by December 31, 2025, registering a quarterly growth of 1.06%.
Of the 1,028.61 million internet subscribers:
- Wired internet subscribers stood at 45.32 million
- Wireless internet subscribers accounted for 983.29 million
The internet base comprises:
- Broadband subscribers: 1,007.35 million (up 1.18% from 995.63 million)
- Narrowband subscribers: 21.25 million (down 4.18% from 22.18 million)
The data highlights a continued structural shift toward broadband connectivity, even as narrowband usage declines.
Wireline Sees Strong Annual Growth
Wireline subscriptions rose from 46.61 million in September to 47.37 million in December 2025, marking a quarterly growth of 1.62%. On a year-on-year basis, wireline subscriptions surged 20.63%, underscoring sustained demand for fixed-line connectivity.
Wireline tele-density improved from 3.29% to 3.33% during the quarter.
Wireless Momentum Strengthens
The wireless (mobile) subscriber base recorded a robust net addition of 73.76 million users during the quarter, rising from 1,170.44 million at the end of September to 1,244.20 million by December 2025 — a strong 6.30% quarterly growth. On a year-on-year basis, wireless subscriptions grew 8.13%.
Wireless tele-density climbed sharply from 82.53% to 87.38% during the quarter.
Total Telephone Subscribers Top 1.3 Billion
India’s total telephone subscriber base expanded from 1,228.94 million to 1,306.14 million in the December quarter, registering a quarterly growth of 6.28% and a year-on-year growth of 9.77%.
Overall tele-density improved significantly from 86.65% to 91.74%.
- Urban subscribers increased from 689.11 million to 762.44 million, with urban tele-density rising from 134.76% to 148.92%.
- Rural subscribers grew marginally from 539.83 million to 543.70 million, with rural tele-density inching up from 59.52% to 59.63%.
However, the rural share of total subscriptions declined from 43.93% to 41.63%, indicating faster growth in urban markets.
ARPU And Usage Metrics Improve
Monthly Average Revenue per User (ARPU) for wireless services rose 1.87% quarter-on-quarter to ₹194.57 from ₹190.99. On a year-on-year basis, wireless ARPU increased 7.03%.
Segment-wise:
- Prepaid ARPU: ₹194.12
- Postpaid ARPU: ₹199.05
Average Minutes of Usage (MOU) per subscriber per month increased 0.72% to 1,012 minutes.
- Prepaid MOU: 1,064 minutes
- Postpaid MOU: 501 minutes
Revenue Metrics Show Steady Growth
For the quarter ended December 2025:
- Gross Revenue (GR): ₹1,02,475 crore (up 2.65% QoQ; 6.31% YoY)
- Applicable Gross Revenue (ApGR): ₹96,456 crore (up 2.28% QoQ; 4.46% YoY)
- Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR): ₹84,270 crore (up 2.33% QoQ; 8.13% YoY)
Pass-through charges declined 1.13% quarter-on-quarter to ₹11,296 crore, and recorded a sharp 21.61% year-on-year decline.
License fee collections increased to ₹6,733 crore in the December quarter from ₹6,588 crore in the previous quarter, marking a 2.20% sequential growth and an 8% year-on-year rise.
Overall, the December 2025 quarter reflects a resilient telecom sector driven by strong wireless subscriber additions, improving ARPU trends and continued broadband expansion, even as rural growth remains relatively subdued compared to urban markets.