In Short:
In a year, India gained 7.3 crore internet subscribers and 7.8 crore broadband users, bringing total telephone subscribers to 119.9 crore. Internet subscribers rose to 95.4 crore, while broadband increased to 92.4 crore. The adjusted gross revenue also grew by 8.24%. Data usage surged significantly, reflecting the growing need for high-speed connectivity across the country.
India’s Internet and Telephone Subscriber Growth
New Delhi: India has witnessed a significant increase in internet and broadband subscribers over the past year. As reported by the Centre on Tuesday, the country added 7.3 crore internet subscribers and 7.8 crore broadband subscribers, bringing the total number of telephone subscribers to 119.9 crore.
Growth in Internet Subscribers
The total number of internet subscribers rose from 88.1 crore at the end of March 2023 to 95.4 crore by March 2024, reflecting an annual growth rate of 8.3 percent.
Broadband Services Expansion
Broadband services have also shown remarkable growth, with subscriber numbers increasing from 84.6 crore in March 2023 to 92.4 crore in March 2024. According to the latest data from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), this constitutes a growth rate of 9.15 percent.
Adjusted Gross Revenue Increase
The adjusted gross revenue (AGR) in the telecom sector rose from Rs 2,49,908 crore in the fiscal year 2022-23 to Rs 2,70,504 crore in 2023-24, demonstrating an annual growth rate of 8.24 percent.
Tele-Density and Wireless Data Subscriber Growth
The overall tele-density in India has improved, increasing from 84.51 percent at the end of March 2023 to 85.69 percent in March 2024, representing a yearly growth of 1.39 percent.
The number of wireless data subscribers has escalated from 84.6 crore at the end of March 2023 to 91.3 crore by March 2024, indicating a growth rate of 7.93 percent.
Increase in Data Usage
The total volume of wireless data usage surged from 1,60,054 PB (petabytes) during 2022-23 to 1,94,774 PB in 2023-24, marking an impressive annual growth of 21.69 percent, as reported by TRAI.
Overall Telephone Subscriber Growth
The total number of telephone subscribers in India has also increased from 117.2 crore at the end of March last year to 119.9 crore, achieving a yearly growth rate of 2.3 percent.
Average Minutes of Usage
The average minutes of usage (MOUs) per subscriber per month rose from 919 in 2022-23 to 963 in 2023-24, showcasing a growth rate of 4.73 percent.
