TRAI Telecom Subscription Data — April 2026: Total subscribers cross 1337 million; broadband at 1073 million

📌 Summary:

• TRAI released telecom subscription highlights for April 2026 based on data reported by Telecom Service Providers
• Total telephone subscribers: 1337.54 million (Wireless 1288.96 m + Wireline 48.58 m); net addition 6.95 million in April; monthly growth 0.52%
• Urban subscribers: 783.12 million (58.55%); Rural subscribers: 554.41 million (41.45%)
• Overall tele-density (with M2M cellular): 93.69%; Urban: 152.11%; Rural: 60.74%
• Tele-density without M2M: 84.76% — shows urban-rural digital divide persists
• Total broadband subscribers: rose from 1065.88 million (March 2026) to 1073.44 million (April 2026) — monthly growth 0.71%
• Segment break-up of broadband: Fixed Wired Access 46.84 m (+0.71%); Fixed Wireless Access 17.54 m (+2.53%); Mobile Wireless Access 1009.06 m (+0.68%) — 5G FWA is the fastest-growing segment
• Active wireless (peak VLR) subscribers in April: 1193.57 million
• Mobile Number Portability (MNP): 14.74 million requests submitted in April 2026
• Top 5 broadband providers control 98.61% of the market — Reliance Jio (526.94 m), Bharti Airtel (373.00 m), Vodafone Idea (128.92 m), BSNL (27.20 m), ACT (2.42 m)
• Wireline tele-density rose from 3.38% (March) to 3.40% (April) — modest but consistent recovery

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS3 — Telecom infrastructure; digital inclusion; rural-urban digital divide; competition in telecom services; data on India's growing digital economy

📝 Prelims Facts:

• Total telephone subscribers (April 2026): 1337.54 million
• Overall tele-density (with M2M): 93.69%
• Total broadband subscribers (April 2026): 1073.44 million
• Telecom data publisher: TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, est. 1997 under TRAI Act, 1997)
• Top broadband operator: Reliance Jio Infocomm (526.94 million)
• MNP requests in April 2026: 14.74 million
• Active wireless (peak VLR): 1193.57 million

🔑 Key Term: Tele-density — number of telephone connections per 100 inhabitants; an indicator of telecom penetration. India's overall tele-density (incl. M2M cellular) reached 93.69% in April 2026 (urban 152.11%, rural 60.74%).