TRAI Telecom Services Report Q1 2025

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) released the “Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicator Report” for the quarter ending March 31, 2025. This report outlines the performance of telecom services in India, focusing on various aspects including internet subscriptions, revenue generation, and broadcasting services.

Key Highlights:

• Internet Subscribers:

  • Decreased from 970.16 million at the end of December 2024 to 969.10 million by March 2025, marking a decline of 0.11%.
  • The breakdown includes 41.41 million wired and 927.70 million wireless internet subscribers.
  • Broadband internet subscribers decreased slightly by 0.09% while narrowband subscribers decreased from 25.20 million to 24.98 million.

• Telecom Subscription:

  • Total telephone subscribers increased from 1,189.92 million in December 2024 to 1,200.80 million in March 2025, a growth rate of 0.91%.
  • Urban telephone subscribers grew to 666.11 million and rural subscribers increased to 534.69 million.
  • Overall tele-density in India rose from 84.45% to 85.04%.

• Market Share:

  • Private operators held 91.47% of the total subscription market, while public sector undertakings (PSUs) accounted for 8.53%.

• Monthly Average Revenue per User (ARPU):

  • For wireless services, ARPU increased by 0.64% from ₹181.80 to ₹182.95 between December 2024 and March 2025.

• Revenue Generation:

  • Gross revenue (GR) for the telecom sector reached ₹98,250 crores, with a YoY growth of 11.74%.
  • Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) was ₹79,226 crores, marking a 1.66% increase from the previous quarter.
  • License fees collected increased from ₹6,234 crores to ₹6,340 crores, showing a 12.46% YoY growth.

• Quality of Service (QoS):

  • QoS benchmarks were reportedly met by wireline and wireless service providers, including parameters such as call setup success rates and downtime.

• Broadcasting Services:

  • The report states that a total of 918 private satellite TV channels were permitted for uplinking and downlinking.
  • The number of active pay DTH subscribers decreased from 58.22 million to 56.92 million during the quarter.
  • In terms of FM radio services, there are currently 388 operational private FM channels, showing no change in the total number.

• Operational Data as of March 31, 2025:

  • Total telecom subscribers reached 1,200.80 million.
  • Total internet subscribers stood at 969.10 million.
  • Monthly ARPU for wireless services was ₹182.95 with a call minutes usage of 1026 per subscriber.

Conclusion:

The TRAI report provides an extensive overview of the state of telecom services in India as of Q1 2025, noting a slight decline in internet subscriptions but an increase in overall telephone subscribers. Revenue trends indicate growth in the sector, despite a reduction in certain service subscribers, and adherence to quality service benchmarks suggests a commitment to maintaining service standards.

Important Points:

• Total internet subscribers: 969.10 million (Decreased by 0.11%).
• Total telephone subscribers: 1,200.80 million (Increased by 0.91%).
• ARPU for wireless services: ₹182.95 (Increased by 0.64%).
• Gross Revenue (GR): ₹98,250 crores (11.74% YoY growth).
• Increase in license fees: ₹6,340 crores (12.46% YoY growth).
• Operational private FM radio channels: 388.
• Total active DTH subscribers: 56.92 million (Decreased from 58.22 million).

The detailed report is available on the TRAI website for any further information.