By December 2025, India officially hit a major milestone: over 1 billion internet subscribers, amid strong demand for broadband and rapid 5G and fixed wireless access (FWA) adoption.
According to TRAI, nearly all subscribers were wireless; TRAI's wireless category includes both mobile and fixed wireless access, not only mobile phones.
Wireless vs wired connections
Out of the total internet users, about 983 million are on wireless networks while just over 45 million use wired connections.
While narrowband usage is slipping, wireline subscriptions actually grew by more than 20% year-on-year.
On top of that, the average monthly spend per wireless user nudged up to ₹194.
Airtel, Jio continue to lead the market
Airtel and Jio keep pulling ahead—Airtel added over five million new users and Jio nearly three million in December alone.
Meanwhile, Vi and BSNL lost subscribers, showing how competition is heating up and big players are grabbing even bigger slices of the pie.