Telecom Subscriber Base Grows By 6.2 Million To 1.35 Billion In July: TRAI

In July 2026, India's telephone subscriber base expanded by 6.2 million, reaching a total of 1.354 billion, according to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The subscriber base grew by 0.46 percent during the month, driven by additions in both wireless and wireline services. Wireless subscriptions accounted for the majority of the increase, adding 6.02 million new users in July, while wireline services saw a smaller addition of just 0.19 million connections.

At the end of July, India had 1,354.28 million telephone subscribers, with urban markets comprising 58.83 percent of the total subscriber base and rural areas contributing 41.17 percent. Broadband users surpassed 1.09 billion, including machine-to-machine (M2M) cellular connections. Wireless broadband connections accounted for 1,046.34 million subscribers, while wireline broadband stood at 48.14 million.

TRAI introduced the 1601 number series for utility, courier, and logistics calls, excluding M2M cellular connections. As of July, broadband subscribers numbered 1,005.72 million, representing a monthly growth of 0.58 percent. Rural telephone subscribers grew by 1.58 million to reach a total of 557.59 million, with a month-on-month growth of 0.28 percent. The overall tele-density, including M2M connections, was 94.68 percent, with urban tele-density at 154.12 percent compared to 61.05 percent in rural India.

Demand for mobile number portability remained strong, with 15.98 million subscribers requesting portability during July. Additionally, the number of active wireless subscribers on the peak Visitor Location Register (VLR) date was 1,204.01 million.