India’s telecom sector maintained strong growth momentum during the December 2025 quarter, with the number of internet users crossing 1.02 billion, according to the latest performance report released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India.
The report, titled Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicator Report, covers the quarter ending December 31, 2025 and highlights steady expansion in internet users, telephone connections, revenues, and telecom company earnings.
According to the report, the total number of internet subscribers increased from 1,017.81 million in September 2025 to 1,028.61 million by December 2025, registering a quarterly growth of 1.06 percent.
Out of the total internet users, 983.29 million were wireless subscribers, while 45.32 million were wired broadband users.
Broadband Users Cross 1 Billion Mark
The report also noted a major milestone in India’s digital growth. The country’s broadband subscriber base crossed the 1 billion mark, reaching 1,007.35 million users by the end of December 2025.
This growth reflects the increasing demand for high-speed data services, driven by smartphone usage, digital payments, streaming platforms, and online services across urban as well as rural regions.
With affordable mobile data and expanding telecom infrastructure, India continues to remain one of the fastest-growing internet markets in the world.
Telephone Connections See Sharp Growth
India also recorded strong growth in overall telephone connections during the quarter. The total number of telephone subscribers increased significantly from 1,228.94 million in September to 1,306.14 million in December 2025.
This represents a quarterly growth of 6.28 percent and a year-on-year growth of 9.77 percent.
During the same period, India’s tele-density — which measures the number of telephone connections per 100 people — improved from 86.65 percent to 91.74 percent.
Wireless subscribers, including mobile users and fixed wireless access (FWA) connections, rose by 76.45 million during the quarter, reaching 1,258.77 million subscribers.
The mobile subscriber base alone increased to 1,244.20 million, indicating continued demand for mobile connectivity across the country.
Wireless tele-density also increased from 83.36 percent to 88.41 percent, further highlighting the expansion of mobile services.
Telecom Revenues and ARPU Increase
Telecom companies also reported improved financial performance during the quarter.
The Gross Revenue (GR) of the telecom sector stood at ₹1,02,475 crore, while the Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) was ₹84,270 crore.
Both figures recorded growth compared with the previous quarter as well as the same period last year.
Another key indicator, the Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) for wireless services, also increased.
ARPU rose from ₹190.99 in the previous quarter to ₹194.57, reflecting improved earnings for telecom companies per subscriber.
Broadcasting Sector Statistics
The report also highlighted developments in the broadcasting sector. According to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, 920 private satellite television channels have been permitted to operate in India.
As of December 31, 2025, 335 of these were pay TV channels, while the remaining channels were free-to-air services available to viewers without subscription fees.
The continued expansion of both telecom and broadcasting services indicates the steady growth of India’s digital and communication ecosystem.
