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New Delhi – The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released its “Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicator Report” for the quarter April–June 2025, offering a comprehensive snapshot of India’s telecom, broadcasting, and cable services sector. The report highlights significant growth in internet penetration, rising average revenues for telecom operators, and continued expansion of wireline connectivity, alongside a stable performance in broadcasting services.
According to the data, the total number of internet subscribers in India surged past the one-billion mark, rising from 969.10 million at the end of March 2025 to 1,002.85 million by June 2025, marking a quarterly growth rate of 3.48%. Out of this, 958.14 million were wireless internet subscribers, while 44.71 million were wired users. Broadband subscribers accounted for a dominant 979.71 million, while narrowband users declined to 23.14 million.
Wireline Growth Outpaces Wireless
One of the most striking highlights of the report was the exceptional performance of the wireline sector. Wireline subscriptions grew by 28.20% in the quarter, climbing from 37.04 million to 47.49 million. On a year-on-year basis, this represents an impressive growth of 35.26%. Wireline tele-density also improved, reaching 3.36% in June 2025 compared with 2.62% in March.
In contrast, wireless subscriptions saw relatively modest growth. The wireless subscriber base increased by 7.12 million to reach 1,170.88 million, registering a quarterly growth rate of 0.61%. On a yearly basis, however, wireless growth was almost flat, increasing by just 0.03%. Interestingly, mobile subscriptions within wireless services saw a slight year-on-year decline of 0.64%.
Rural-Urban Divide Persists
The total number of telephone subscribers in India reached 1,218.36 million by June 2025, up from 1,200.80 million in March. Tele-density improved to 86.09%. Urban areas contributed significantly to this growth, with urban tele-density rising to 133.56%. Rural tele-density also increased, albeit modestly, reaching 59.43%.
Out of the total subscriptions, rural share declined marginally from 44.53% in March 2025 to 44.20% in June 2025. This highlights the continued concentration of telecom growth in urban markets, despite government initiatives to bridge the digital divide.
ARPU and Revenue Trends
The report showed encouraging signs for telecom operators’ revenue performance. The Monthly Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) for wireless services rose by 2%, reaching ₹186.62 in June 2025 compared to ₹182.95 in March. On a yearly basis, wireless ARPU surged by 18.52%.
Prepaid subscribers recorded a slightly higher ARPU of ₹187, while postpaid users contributed ₹182.72 per month. However, the overall minutes of usage (MOU) per subscriber per month fell by 1.93%, dropping from 1,026 minutes in March 2025 to 1,006 minutes in June 2025.
On the financial side, the sector reported a Gross Revenue (GR) of ₹96,646 crore, which marked a 1.63% decline compared to the previous quarter. Applicable Gross Revenue (ApGR) also saw a minor dip of 0.40%, standing at ₹92,250 crore. However, Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) showed resilience, increasing by 2.65% to ₹81,325 crore. On a year-on-year basis, GR grew 12.34%, ApGR rose 11.03%, and AGR registered a strong 15.26% growth.
Pass-through charges declined significantly by 19.45% to ₹10,457 crore, while license fee collections rose to ₹6,506 crore, reflecting a quarterly growth of 2.63% and a robust annual rise of 15.25%.
Quality of Service (QoS) Compliance
The report also reviewed compliance with service quality benchmarks. For wireline services, parameters such as Point of Interconnection (POI) congestion, customer care accessibility, and call handling within 90 seconds were fully met across all service areas. Similarly, wireless and broadband providers achieved high compliance levels in metrics such as latency, packet drop rate, network uptime, billing complaint resolution, and customer care accessibility.
Broadcasting and Cable Services: Mixed Signals
As of June 2025, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting had permitted 912 private satellite TV channels. Of these, 333 were pay-TV channels, including 232 standard-definition (SD) and 101 high-definition (HD) channels.
The Direct-to-Home (DTH) sector reported a total active subscriber base of 56.07 million, a slight decline from 56.92 million in March 2025. Alongside, Doordarshan’s DD Free Dish continues to add millions of free-to-air users.
Private FM radio continued to play an important role in broadcasting. By June 2025, 388 operational FM channels were running in 113 cities, managed by 32 operators. However, the sector witnessed a revenue decline, with advertisement earnings falling to ₹383.14 crore from ₹466.63 crore in the previous quarter. The community radio sector remained steady with 540 stations operational nationwide.
Internet Usage and Data Trends
The average wireless data usage per subscriber per month stood at 24.01 GB, reflecting India’s strong data consumption patterns. Revenue realization per GB of wireless data was reported at ₹8.51. Total wireless data usage during the quarter stood at 65,009 PB.
Snapshot of Key Highlights (QE June 2025):
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Total telecom subscribers: 1,218.36 million
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Internet subscribers: 1,002.85 million
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Wireline subscribers: 47.49 million (28.2% growth)
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Wireless subscribers: 1,170.88 million (0.61% growth)
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Tele-density: 86.09% (Urban: 133.56%, Rural: 59.43%)
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Monthly wireless ARPU: ₹186.62
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AGR: ₹81,325 crore (up 2.65% QoQ)
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DTH subscribers: 56.07 million
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Private FM channels: 388 across 113 cities
Conclusion
The April–June 2025 performance report reflects a resilient and evolving telecom sector in India, with steady internet adoption pushing the country into the billion-plus subscriber club. While revenues and ARPU trends signal strength for operators, challenges such as falling usage minutes and sluggish rural penetration continue to persist. Broadcasting services face stagnation in DTH and pressure on FM revenues, but the overall trajectory of India’s digital and telecom ecosystem remains firmly upward.
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