The total number of 5G subscribers in India has grown to 365 million at the end of Q1 FY26 (June 2025 end). This is because of the growth of 5G penetration in the country. Telcos have invested thousands of crores into rolling out 5G. Earlier, it was just Airtel and Jio, now even Vodafone Idea (Vi) has joined the ranks. BSNL is yet to roll out 5G, but the testing is underway so it can be expected to be launched in the coming quarters.
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Ind-Ra, a ratings firm, in its recent report highlighted that the data usage patter of the consumers is growing post the rollout of high-speed networks. Back in FY19, the average data consumption per customer was in the range of 11-18GB, while the current data consumption ranges from 18-55GB per month. This is because of unlimited 5G and high-speed 4G data availability everywhere in India. The average data consumption per user continues to grow every quarter for all the three major telcos.
Taking data from the TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India), Ind-Ra mentioned in its report, "The total wired and wireless subscriber base grew to 1,220 million in July 2025 from 1,205 million in July 2024, despite tariff hikes by almost all telcos in June-July 2024. While the wireless subscriber base remained constant yoy at 1,172 million as of July 2025, it has grown month on month since December 2024."
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Even despite the tariff hikes, operators including Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel have seen a steady increase in their subscriber base. The industry wide wireless subscriber base has only grown in the last one year, even as the overall base of Vodafone Idea (Vi) has fallen.
Ind-Ra said, "The industry-wide revenue and average revenue per user (ARPU) continue to grow for all telcos, supported by tariff hikes, increasing data usage, and the increasing proportion of high paying data subscribers in the overall data base."
