India's telecom sector witnessed a significant shift in subscriber dynamics during December, with Bharti Airtel surpassing market leader Reliance Jio in monthly wireless user additions, according to latest data from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
Wireless Market Shifts
Airtel added approximately 5.4 million wireless subscribers during the month, outpacing Jio's 3 million additions. Meanwhile, Vodafone Idea lost 0.94 million customers and state-owned BSNL shed 0.21 million users. This brings Jio's total wireless subscriber base to 489.05 million, while Airtel reached 463.38 million by December's end.
Broadband Milestone and Reporting Changes
The nation's broadband subscriptions crossed the 1 billion mark, reaching 1.01 billion. Fixed wireless access showed stronger growth compared to traditional wired connections. However, TRAI noted a reporting change that complicates direct operator comparisons: Airtel began including machine-to-machine (M2M) SIMs in its wireless totals starting December, after previously excluding them.
In broadband, Jio maintained leadership with 514 million subscribers, followed by Airtel at 314 million and Vodafone Idea at 128 million. Active user metrics revealed Airtel showing nearly 99% of its base active versus 58.2% for BSNL.
Fixed Wireless Access Growth
Fixed wireless access (FWA), which delivers home broadband over mobile networks, emerged as a growing segment. Airtel recorded 305,933 net additions in 5G-based FWA, slightly ahead of Jio's 275,746 additions. Operators are promoting FWA as a faster-to-deploy alternative to fiber, particularly in areas where cable installation faces challenges.
Total telephone subscribers increased to 1.306 billion, translating to a tele-density of 91.74%. The regulator also reported 16.12 million mobile number portability requests in December, indicating continued consumer movement between operators.
