TRAI Releases 2025-26 Performance Report on Indian Telecom and Broadcasting Services

Overview of Telecom Growth

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has published its 'Indian Telecom Services Yearly Performance Indicators' for the 2025-26 fiscal year. The report, which covers data from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026, highlights significant growth across various connectivity segments, including broadband, mobile, and wireline services.

Key Performance Indicators

The following metrics summarize the state of the industry as of March 31, 2026:

• Total Telephone Subscribers: Reached 1,330.58 million, marking a 10.81% increase over the previous year.
• Internet Subscriptions: Total internet users rose to 1,092.79 million, with 1,065.88 million categorized as broadband subscribers.
• Tele-density: The overall tele-density in India reached 93.26%.
• Wireless Data Usage: Total wireless data consumption grew by 24.74% to 285,376 PB, while the average revenue realization per GB fell by 10.59% to ₹8.02.
• Financial Performance: Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) for telecom services rose by 10.44%, reaching ₹3,34,659 crore.

Infrastructure and Broadcasting Shifts

The report also documents changes in the television and radio landscapes:

• Satellite TV: As of March 31, 2026, there were 908 satellite TV channels available for downlinking in India, of which 342 were identified as pay channels.
• DTH Services: Active pay-DTH subscribers decreased to approximately 49.05 million from 56.92 million the previous year.
• Radio Broadcasting: The number of operational private FM radio channels increased to 390 across 120 cities, though reported advertisement revenue for these operators saw a decline to ₹1,616.42 crore.
• Community Radio: The number of operational community radio stations grew to 564.

Reporting Methodology

TRAI noted that Bharti Airtel Ltd. updated its reporting criteria for the 2025-26 fiscal year to include machine-to-machine (M2M) cellular subscribers in its wireless base. This change contributed to a more robust growth figure for the wireless sector compared to previous reporting periods.

Further details, including the complete executive summary and historical data, are available on the official TRAI website at [www.trai.gov.in](http://www.trai.gov.in). Inquiries regarding the report can be directed to the office of the Advisor (F&EA).