Indian Telecom Performance Indicator Report January-March 2025: Key Highlights

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has published its “Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicator Report” for the quarter ending March 2025, offering key insights into subscriber growth, internet usage, financials, and Quality of Service (QoS) compliance across the sector.

Subscriber Base Shows Positive Growth

As of March 2025, total telecom subscribers in the country rose to 1,200.80 million from 1,189.92 million in December 2024, marking a quarterly growth of 0.91%. Urban subscriptions climbed to 666.11 million, while rural subscriptions reached 534.69 million. Consequently, national tele-density improved to 85.04%, with rural and urban tele-densities at 59.06% and 131.45% respectively.

Wireless subscribers including mobile and 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) reached 1,163.76 million experiencing a 1.14% quarterly growth. This figure includes 1,156.99 million mobile users and 6.77 million 5G FWA users. In contrast, wireline subscriptions dropped 5.67% to 37.04 million due to FWA classification shifts.

Internet Penetration Trends Slightly Down

The total internet subscriber base recorded a marginal decline, from 970.16 million in December 2024 to 969.10 million by March 2025 a reduction of 0.11%. Wired internet users numbered 41.41 million, while wireless users were 927.70 million.

Broadband subscribers stood at 944.12 million, and narrowband users accounted for 24.98 million. Urban internet penetration reached 110.79 per 100 people, compared to 45.03 in rural areas, bringing the national average to 68.63 per 100 citizens.

Financial Snapshot of the Telecom Sector

The telecom sector reported gross revenue (GR) of ₹98,250 crore in Q1 2025, up 1.93% compared to the previous quarter. The applicable gross revenue (ApGR) and adjusted gross revenue (AGR) were ₹92,618 crore and ₹79,226 crore, increasing by 0.30% and 1.66% respectively.

Pass-through charges fell to ₹12,982 crore, while license fees rose to ₹6,340 crore, reflecting robust financial health in the ecosystem. On a year-on-year basis, GR, ApGR and AGR grew by 11.74%, 10.33% and 12.44% respectively.

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Service Revenue Contributions and ARPU Trends

Access services comprised 84.02% of total AGR in Q1 2025. The average revenue per user (ARPU) for wireless services increased by 0.64% from ₹181.80 to ₹182.95. Prepaid ARPU stood at ₹182.53 and postpaid at ₹187.48. Meanwhile, average usage per user (MOU) climbed 1.64% to 1,026 minutes per subscriber monthly.

Broadcasting and Cable Services Overview

As of March 2025, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had permitted 918 private satellite TV channels. Of the 908 downlinkable channels, 333 are pay-TV channels, with 101 in HD and the rest in SD format.

Pay DTH platforms maintained 56.92 million active subscribers, a decrease from 58.22 million in December 2024. DD Free Dish subscribers remain separate and are not included in these figures.

FM Radio and Community Stations

There were 388 operational private FM radio channels spread over 113 cities, managed by 33 private operators following multiple mergers during the quarter. Advertisement revenue from private FM radio fell to ₹466.63 crore from ₹500.11 crore last quarter.

Community radio stations held steady at 531 across the country.

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Data Consumption and Usage Metrics

Wireless data consumption during the quarter stood at 59,447 petabytes. The average data usage per user per month was 22.19 GB, with revenue realisation at ₹9.11 per GB. Public Wi-Fi hotspot availability stood at 55,052, and these hotspots consumed 14,329 terabytes of data during the period.

Infrastructure and Service Operators’ Market Share

Private operators held a commanding 91.47% share in the overall subscriber base, with PSU operators accounting for 8.53%. In wireless services, private firms led with a 92.09% share, while public sector providers held 7.91%.

The total number of Public Mobile Radio Trunk Services (PMRTS) connections stood at 67,023, and there were over 2.43 lakh VSAT terminals operational, indicating widespread use of satellite-based solutions.

Conclusion

The TRAI Performance Indicator Report for January to March 2025 reflects stable growth, increasing subscriber base and improving financial indicators in the telecom sector. While internet subscribers dipped slightly, wireless connectivity and QoS compliance showed positive momentum, supported by strong ARPU and MOU figures. Sector-wide adherence to service benchmarks underscores the maturity and ongoing evolution of Indian telecom and broadcasting services.

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