The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) reported that the country's wireless subscriber base expanded to 1294.46 million at the end of May 2026, up from 1288.96 million in April 2026. This represents a monthly growth rate of 0.43 percent, indicating steady upward movement across both urban and rural markets.
Urban and rural subscription trends
Total wireless subscriptions in urban areas increased from 739.78 million in April 2026 to 744.36 million in May 2026, recording a monthly growth rate of 0.62 percent. In rural areas, subscriptions rose from 549.18 million to 550.11 million during the same period, with a growth rate of 0.17 percent. The share of urban and rural wireless subscribers in the total was 57.50 percent and 42.50 percent, respectively, at the end of May 2026.
Tele-density improvements
The wireless tele-density in India increased from 90.28 percent at the end of April 2026 to 90.61 percent at the end of May 2026. Urban wireless tele-density rose from 143.69 percent to 144.39 percent, while rural wireless tele-density increased from 60.16 percent to 60.25 percent over the same period.
Broadband and telephone market overview
The broader telephone market, including both wireless and wireline connections, reached a total of 1343.10 million subscribers by the end of May. The overall broadband segment reached 1080.15 million subscribers, with wireless broadband services accounting for 1032.75 million users. The top five broadband service providers commanded a combined market share of 98.59 percent at the end of May 2026.
Leading service providers
Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd. led the market with a subscriber base of 529.61 million, followed by Bharti Airtel Ltd. with 376.11 million subscribers. Vodafone Idea Ltd. held the third position with 129.21 million users. State-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. recorded 27.52 million subscribers, and Atria Convergence Technologies Ltd. rounded out the top five with 2.43 million subscribers.
According to TRAI, the data reflects consistent growth in wireless connectivity, driven primarily by urban expansion, while rural markets also showed positive but slower gains.
