India Sees Surge in Internet and Broadband Subscribers, Reaches 119.9 Crore Telephone Users

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 20th August. India experienced substantial growth in internet and broadband usage over the past year, according to data released by the Centre today. 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.

As of March 2024, the total number of internet subscribers rose to 95.4 crore from 88.1 crore the previous year, reflecting an annual growth rate of 8.3 percent. Broadband services also saw significant expansion, with the number of subscribers increasing from 84.6 crore in March 2023 to 92.4 crore by March 2024, marking a robust 9.15 percent growth rate.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) highlighted the importance of this growth, emphasizing the role of high-speed connectivity in the country’s development. The adjusted gross revenue (AGR) for the telecom sector increased from ₹2,49,908 crore in 2022-23 to ₹2,70,504 crore in 2023-24, representing an 8.24 percent growth.

India’s overall tele-density rose from 84.51 percent in March 2023 to 85.69 percent a year later, with a 1.39 percent annual growth. Wireless data subscribers grew from 84.6 crore to 91.3 crore, reflecting a 7.93 percent increase. The volume of wireless data usage surged by 21.69 percent, reaching 1,94,774 petabytes in the 2023-24 period.

Telephone subscribers increased by 2.3 percent from 117.2 crore to 119.9 crore. Additionally, the average minutes of usage (MOUs) per subscriber per month rose from 919 to 963, showing a 4.73 percent annual growth.