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.
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.
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.
“Since 5G FWA is installed at a fixed location and delivers consistent high-speed internet, it qualifies as a fixed broadband service irrespective of the access medium,” the person added.
According to people in the know, TRAI’s concern stems from a sharp spike in Jio’s wireline subscriber numbers last year, followed by a sudden decline after the regulator intervened, the report added.
TRAI seeks Clarification from Jio, Airtel
The regulator has now formalised its position by writing to both Jio and Airtel, seeking details on how they categorise their 5G FWA users, and whether the reporting aligns with licensing norms and technical definitions of ‘wireline’ services.
According to sources quoted in the report, Jio has issued a response to TRAI, in which the company has argued that AirFiber should count as wireline broadband because the device is fixed at the user’s premises and functions like a traditional broadband connection. Additionally, the company has been following standards prescribed by ITU globally, the people said. However, TRAI maintains that the transport layer—whether the signal is delivered over fiber, cable, or wireless spectrum—is essential to the classification.
ITU Definition of Fixed-Broadband Subscription
The definition given by the ITU for Fixed Internet Subscriptions, according to the Handbook for the Collection of Administrative Data on Telecommunications/ICT, 2020 edition, states that:
“Fixed-broadband subscriptions refers to fixed subscriptions to high-speed access to the public Internet (a TCP/IP connection), at downstream speeds equal to, or greater than, 256 kbit/s. This includes cable modem, DSL, fibre-to-the-home/building, other fixed (wired)-broadband subscriptions, satellite broadband and terrestrial fixed wireless broadband. This total is measured irrespective of the method of payment. It excludes subscriptions that have access to data communications (including the Internet) via mobile-cellular networks. It should include fixed WiMAX and any other fixed wireless technologies. It includes both residential subscriptions and subscriptions for organisations.”
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