Pariksha SaathiTRAI April-June 2026 Report: Tele-Density Reaches 94.31%, Mobile Data Use Hits 28.39 GB a Month
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) published its Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicator Report for the April-June 2026 quarter on 12 October. India had 1,348.08 million telephone subscribers on 30 June 2026, up 1.31% from 1,330.58 million three months earlier, and overall tele-density improved to 94.31% from 93.26%. Urban tele-density stood at 153.43% against 60.89% in rural areas, and rural users accounted for 41.24% of all subscriptions. Internet subscribers crossed 1,114 million, of whom 1,087.50 million were on broadband. Data consumption kept climbing: an average mobile data user consumed 28.39 GB a month, up from 26.70 GB in the previous quarter, while the average revenue earned per GB of wireless data slipped to ₹7.13 from ₹7.51. Monthly average revenue per wireless user (ARPU) rose 1.19% to ₹187.12. The telecom sector's adjusted gross revenue for the quarter was ₹88,796 crore, about 9.19% higher than in the same quarter a year earlier.
Drafted with AI assistance from the official PIB release linked above and checked against it by a second AI pass. Not line-edited by a human.
Learning context
Tele-density — the number of telephone (wireline plus wireless) connections per 100 population — is a penetration metric reported separately for urban and rural circles, not a count of unique subscribers. Because many users hold more than one SIM, urban tele-density in TRAI’s recent quarterly reports has stayed well above 100, even as rural tele-density remains far lower, which is why the national average sits between the two.
Reference: TRAI’s Performance Indicator Reports
Check yourself: can tele-density ever be more than 100?
Yes — because it counts connections, not unique people, and multiple SIM ownership is common; TRAI’s reports regularly show urban tele-density above 100, well ahead of rural tele-density.
Revision task: note today’s release figures (94.31% overall tele-density, 28.39 GB average monthly data use) and check whether they describe unique subscribers or connections, based on the definition above.
Test yourself
According to TRAI's April-June 2026 performance report, what was India's overall tele-density on 30 June 2026?
Show the answer
Answer: 94.31%
Tele-density improved to 94.31% from 93.26% the previous quarter, with 1,348.08 million telephone subscribers; urban tele-density was 153.43% against 60.89% in rural areas, and the average mobile data user consumed 28.39 GB a month.
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