TRAI releases Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicator Report for Q4 (January-March 2026)

📌 Summary:

• TRAI released the Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicator Report for the quarter ending 31 March 2026, covering telecom, Cable TV, DTH and radio broadcasting
• Total internet subscribers rose from 1,028.61 million (Dec-25) to 1,092.79 million (Mar-26), a quarterly growth of 6.24% — of which wireless internet was 1,046.26 million and wired 46.54 million
• Broadband subscribers grew 5.81% to 1,065.88 million; narrowband rose 26.62% to 26.91 million
• Wireless ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) increased 0.76% q-o-q to Rs.196.04 (up 7.15% y-o-y); prepaid ARPU Rs.196.22, postpaid Rs.194.31
• Overall minutes of usage (MOU) per month rose to 1,017; total telephone subscribers grew to 1,330.58 million (Mar-26)
• Sector Gross Revenue for the quarter was Rs.1,05,118 crore, Applicable Gross Revenue Rs.98,638 crore and Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) Rs.86,716 crore; AGR grew 9.45% y-o-y; access services contributed 83.59% of AGR

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS3 (telecom infrastructure, digital economy, regulatory oversight). Useful for understanding sector health, the role of the regulator, and the AGR concept central to telecom policy disputes.

📝 Prelims Facts:

• TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) is a statutory body set up under the TRAI Act, 1997
• AGR = Adjusted Gross Revenue, the basis on which licence fees and spectrum usage charges are computed
• ARPU = Average Revenue Per User, a key metric of telecom operator earnings

🔑 Key Term: Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) — the share of an operator's revenue on which it pays licence fee and spectrum usage charges to the government.