Telecom subscriber base rises by 6.2 million to 1.35 billion in July: TRAI

New Delhi: India’s total telephone subscriber base increased by 6.2 million to 1.354 billion in July 2026, registering a monthly growth of 0.46 per cent, according to data released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Friday.

The growth was driven by additions across both wireless and wireline connections, with the wireless subscriber base increasing by 6.02 million and wireline connections rising by 0.19 million during the month.

The total number of telephone subscribers stood at 1,354.28 million at the end of July, compared with the previous month. Urban subscribers accounted for 58.83 per cent of the total base, while rural subscribers made up 41.17 per cent.

The broadband subscriber base also continued to expand. Including machine-to-machine (M2M) cellular mobile connections, total broadband subscribers reached 1,094.48 million, comprising 1,046.34 million wireless and 48.14 million wireline connections.

Excluding M2M cellular mobile connections, the broadband subscriber base stood at 1,005.72 million at the end of July. The segment recorded a monthly growth rate of 0.58 per cent.

Rural connectivity also recorded further growth during the month. The number of rural telephone subscribers increased by 1.58 million to 557.59 million, while the rural subscriber base registered a monthly growth of 0.28 per cent.

Overall tele-density, including M2M cellular mobile connections, stood at 94.68 per cent in July. Rural tele-density was recorded at 61.05 per cent, while urban tele-density stood at 154.12 per cent.

The data also showed continued demand for mobile number portability, with 15.98 million subscribers submitting requests for MNP during July. The number of active wireless subscribers on the date of peak Visitor Location Register (VLR) stood at 1,204.01 million during the month.

IANS