India’s telecom landscape continues to evolve, with Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel leading the charge. According to Trai data released last Friday, these two giants accounted for over 99% of new telecom subscribers in May. The numbers tell a compelling story of shifting market dynamics.
The total telecom subscriber base in India saw a marginal increase, climbing to 120.7 crore in May. Mobile connections rose to 116.84 crore, while landline connections grew by 3.34% to 3.86 crore. But the real headline is the near-total dominance of Jio and Airtel in net additions.
Together, they added 43,51,294 new subscribers out of the total 43,58,231 net additions. That’s a staggering 99.84% share. Meanwhile, competitors like Vodafone Idea (Vi), BSNL, and MTNL struggled, losing subscribers instead.
Reliance Jio remains the undisputed leader in the mobile segment, boasting a 40.92% market share. The company added 27 lakh new wireless customers, pushing its total subscriber base to 47.24 crore. Their 5G FWA (fixed wireless access) offerings continue to attract users, though adjustments in reporting categories led to a slight dip in FWA numbers.
Bharti Airtel isn’t far behind, holding a 33.61% share. They added 2.75 lakh new subscribers, bringing their total to 39 crore. While their growth wasn’t as explosive as Jio’s, their steady gains highlight their strong position in the market.
On the flip side, Vi lost 2.74 lakh subscribers, BSNL shed 1.35 lakh, and MTNL dropped 4.7 lakh. Even Reliance Communications, though barely a blip, lost 30 mobile subscribers.
The wireline segment tells a similar story. Reliance Jio added 12.76 lakh new subscribers, while Airtel brought in around 99,000. Other players like Tata Teleservices, Vi, and STPL had minimal gains. MTNL and BSNL, however, faced significant losses in fixed-line customers.
Broadband subscriptions surged to 97.48 crore, with Jio leading at 49.44 crore subscribers. Airtel followed with 30.2 crore, while Vi and BSNL trailed behind. Notably, Jio and Airtel resumed submitting broadband data to Trai after a five-month gap, providing clearer insights into their performance.
The slight decline in 5G FWA subscribers (from 75 lakh to 74 lakh) was due to Jio reclassifying over 10 lakh FWA-UBR subscribers into the fixed-line category. This adjustment reflects evolving strategies in how services are bundled and reported.
What does this mean for the average consumer? More competition between Jio and Airtel could lead to better plans and services. But for Vi, BSNL, and MTNL, the struggle to retain users raises questions about their long-term viability.
As the telecom sector marches forward, all eyes remain on how these trends will shape connectivity in India.