NEW DELHI, October 28, 2026: India’s telephone subscription base increased by 7.23 million in September to reach 1,367.93 million, or approximately 1.37 billion, according to data released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Tuesday. The increase represents monthly growth of 0.53%, taking the total from 1,360.70 million at the end of August.
The figures show continued growth in India’s telecommunications sector, but the headline number does not mean that 1.37 billion people in the country have telephone connections. TRAI’s total includes ordinary mobile SIM cards, connections used by machines, fixed wireless services and traditional wired telephone connections. A person can also hold multiple SIM cards, meaning the figures measure registered telecom connections rather than the number of unique individuals using them.
September’s increase was higher than the 6.42 million net telephone subscriptions added in August. Rural areas recorded 1.73 million net additions during September, more than double the previous month’s 0.83 million, while urban areas added 5.50 million connections, broadly in line with August. The figures indicate a faster pace of rural subscription growth during the month, although urban areas continued to account for most new connections.
TRAI’s September data provides a detailed breakdown. Of the 1,367.93 million telephone subscriptions, 1,155.15 million were consumer mobile SIM connections, 144.85 million were machine-to-machine (M2M) cellular connections, 19.19 million were fixed wireless access connections and 48.74 million were wireline subscriptions.
Machine-to-machine connections allow devices to communicate over telecom networks without requiring someone to make a call or send a message. They can be used in smart electricity meters, vehicle-tracking systems, payment terminals and other connected equipment. Although these devices use cellular connectivity, they are counted separately from ordinary consumer SIM cards.
Their contribution to September’s growth was substantial. The number of M2M cellular connections rose from 140.50 million in August to 144.85 million in September, an increase of approximately 4.35 million.
Of the approximately 6.57 million mobile SIM connections added in September, 4.35 million were machine-to-machine connections, accounting for roughly two-thirds of the net increase.
Fixed wireless access (FWA) is another category included in the broader wireless total. Unlike a conventional mobile phone connection, FWA provides connectivity to a fixed location, such as a home or business, using wireless signals rather than a wired connection for the final link. TRAI’s figures include services using 5G technology and unlicensed-band radio systems.
Together, mobile and fixed wireless subscriptions reached 1,319.19 million at the end of September, up by 6.94 million from August. Wireline subscriptions, meanwhile, increased by approximately 0.29 million to 48.74 million. These two categories account for the overall net addition of 7.23 million telephone connections during the month.
Broadband subscriptions also increased. TRAI recorded 1,107.68 million broadband connections at the end of September, compared with 1,101.21 million a month earlier. However, this total also includes eligible M2M cellular connections. Excluding those connections, the broadband subscription base stood at 1,013.87 million.
The distinction is important when interpreting India’s internet connectivity figures. A broadband subscription may serve a mobile phone, a fixed-location internet service or a connected machine. The total therefore cannot be treated as a direct count of individuals accessing the internet.
The latest data also shows a continuing difference between urban and rural telecom subscriptions. Urban areas accounted for 807.78 million telephone connections at the end of September, representing 59.05% of the national total. Rural areas accounted for 560.16 million connections, or 40.95%.
The monthly growth rates for urban and rural subscriptions were 0.69% and 0.31%, respectively. This indicates that urban areas continued to record faster subscription growth, even as rural areas registered a stronger increase than in August.
The difference is also visible in tele-density, a measure of telephone subscriptions relative to population. India’s overall tele-density increased from 95.07% in August to 95.52% in September, according to TRAI.
This figure does not mean that 95.52% of Indians have a telephone. It represents approximately 95.52 telephone connections for every 100 people, calculated using official population projections, and includes M2M cellular connections. When those machine connections are excluded, the national tele-density falls to 85.41%.
The urban-rural difference is particularly pronounced. Urban tele-density stood at 155.85%, compared with 61.30% in rural areas. An urban figure above 100% is possible because individuals and businesses may maintain multiple connections, while machine connections also contribute to the total. These figures indicate differences in the concentration of subscriptions but do not, by themselves, establish how many people lack telecom access.
TRAI also reported that 1,212.80 million wireless mobile subscriptions were active on the dates when operators recorded their highest Visitor Location Register (VLR) counts during September. This represented approximately 93.29% of the registered mobile subscription base. VLR data provides a measure of connections registered as active on mobile networks, although it does not identify unique individual users.
Among telecom operators, Reliance Jio added approximately 2.71 million mobile subscriptions during September, while Bharti Airtel added about 2.69 million. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) recorded a net addition of around 0.63 million, and Vodafone Idea added approximately 0.55 million. These operator figures cover mobile subscriptions, including M2M connections.
Separately, around 16.77 million requests for mobile number portability were submitted during September. Mobile number portability allows consumers to change their telecom service provider while retaining their existing mobile number. The figure represents requests submitted, not necessarily completed switches or new subscriptions.
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