TRAI Flags Misreporting in Jio and Airtel 5G AirFiber Subscriber Data: Report

TRAI Flags Data Discrepancies in 5G FWA Reporting by Jio and Airtel: Report
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued official notices to Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel over alleged discrepancies in subscriber data reporting, according to a report by NDTV Profit citing Department of Telecommunications (DoT) sources. The notices, sent on May 27, urge both telecom giants to rectify the inconsistencies in how they classify users of their 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) services.

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AirFiber Services of Airtel and Jio

TRAI has raised questions about whether 5G FWA services—marketed under names like Jio AirFiber and Airtel AirFiber and designed for fixed-in-location usage—should be classified as mobile broadband. Despite being powered by 5G wireless networks, these services are advertised as home Wi-Fi solutions and may have been counted under fiber-based, wireline broadband, according to the report.

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5G FWA Users Misreported

The regulator expressed concern that users of these 5G FWA services may have been misreported as fixed-line subscribers, which could skew policy decisions and industry data. The classification carries regulatory significance, as wireline and wireless broadband services are subject to different licensing fees, revenue-sharing obligations, and policy frameworks.

The telecom regulator had issued directives to both companies on May 27, flagging concerns that users accessing high-speed internet over 5G Fixed Wireless Access, possibly in the millions, may be reported as “wireline” or “fixed-line” subscribers, potentially distorting official broadband penetration data, the report added.

Telcos Claim Compliance with Global Standards

“Telecom firms are following globally accepted definitions of fixed broadband, including those from the International Telecommunication Union and TRAI itself, which clearly list fixed wireless access as part of wireline broadband,” an industry official was quoted as saying.