Is India Moving From Wireless To Wireline Internet? TRAI Data Reveals

Wireless subscribers declined from 1,153.72 million in September to 1,150.42 million in October 2024, registering a monthly decrease of 0.29%. Urban wireless subscriptions dropped from 628.12 million to 625.56 million, while rural subscriptions fell from 525.60 million to 524.86 million, with monthly decline rates of 0.41% and 0.14%, respectively.

Except for Mumbai, Karnataka, Assam, Gujarat, and Odisha, all other service areas have shown a decline in their wireless subscribers during the month of October 24. 

Wireless teledensity also dropped from 82.07% in September to 81.77% in October. Urban wireless teledensity decreased from 125.08% to 124.38%, while rural teledensity slightly fell from 58.16% to 58.06%. Urban subscribers made up 54.38% of the total wireless user base, while rural subscribers contributed 45.62%.

Growth in Wireline Subscribers

The wireline subscriber base in India grew from 36.93 million in September 2024 to 37.79 million in October 2024, marking an increase of 0.85 million, with a monthly growth rate of 2.31%. Urban areas accounted for 92.25% of these subscribers, while rural areas contributed 7.75%. Wireline teledensity also rose from 2.63% in September to 2.69% in October, with urban and rural teledensity recorded at 6.93% and 0.32%, respectively. Public Sector Units (BSNL, MTNL, and APSFL) held 23.29% of the wireline market share as of October 31, 2024.

Market Share of Service Providers

Private service providers held a dominant 91.78% share of the wireless market, while BSNL and MTNL together accounted for 8.22%. Wireless subscriber growth was reported in Mumbai, Karnataka, Assam, Gujarat, and Odisha, while other service areas experienced declines in October 2024.

Mobile Number Portability (MNP) Requests

In October 2024, 13.45 million subscribers submitted requests for Mobile Number Portability (MNP), increasing the cumulative MNP requests from 1,039.11 million in September to 1,052.56 million.

Broadband Subscriber Trends

Broadband subscriptions saw a decline, dropping from 944.40 million in September to 941.47 million in October 2024, with a monthly decline rate of 0.31%. This data was collected from 1,175 operators in October, compared to 1,167 operators in the previous month.

Active Wireless Subscribers

The number of active wireless subscribers on the peak Visitor Location Register (VLR) in October 2024 was 1,066.67 million, reflecting the core user base actively engaged with their services.