India gains 73 million new internet subscribers and 78 million broadband users this year: Report

India added 7.3 crore internet subscribers and 7.8 crore broadband subscribers in one year as the number of telephone subscribers reached 119.9 crore in the country, the Centre informed on Tuesday. The total number of internet subscribers increased from 88.1 crore at the end of March 2023 to 95.4 crore at the end of March this year, with a yearly 8.3 per cent growth.

Broadband services also maintained their upward trajectory, with the number of broadband subscribers increasing from 84.6 crore in March 2023 to 92.4 crore in March 2024, according to the latest data by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

Here are the key findings in the report:

• Surge in Total Internet Subscribers: Total number of internet subscribers increased from 88.1 crore at the end of March 2023 to 95.4 crore at the end of March 2024 with yearly rate of growth of 8.30%, leading to addition of 7.3 crore internet subscribers in the last one year.
• Dominance of Broadband Subscribers: Broadband services maintained their upward trajectory, with the number of broadband subscribers increasing from 84.6 crore in March 2023 to 92.4 crore in March 2024. This robust growth rate of 9.15% with a massive addition of 7.8 Crore Broadband subscribers underscores the importance of high-speed connectivity.
• Exponential Data Consumption: Number of wireless data subscribers has increased from 84.6 crore at the end of March 2023 to 91.3 crore at the end of March 2024 with yearly rate of growth of 7.93%. Further, total volume of wireless data usage increased from 1,60,054 PB during the year 2022-23 to 1,94,774 PB during the year 2023-24 with yearly growth of 21.69%.
• Rise in Tele density: The number of telephone subscribers in India increased from 117.2 crore at the end of March 2023 to 119.9 crore at the end of March 2024, registering a yearly rate of growth 2.30%. The overall Tele-density in India increased from 84.51% at the end of March 2023 to 85.69% at the end of March 2024 at yearly rate of growth of 1.39%.
• Average Minutes of Usage (MOUs) per subscriber per month increased from 919 during the year 2022-23 to 963 in 2023-24 with yearly rate of growth of 4.73%.
• Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) also increased from Rs 2,49,908 crore in the year 2022-23 to Rs 2,70,504 crore in the year 2023-24 with yearly rate of growth of 8.24%.

“This robust growth rate of 9.15 per cent with a massive addition of 7.8 crore Broadband subscribers underscores the importance of high-speed connectivity,” said the telecom regulatory body.

The adjusted gross revenue (AGR) also increased from Rs 2,49,908 crore in the year 2022-23 to Rs 2,70,504 crore in the year 2023-24 with a yearly rate of growth of 8.24 per cent.

The overall teledensity in India increased from 84.51 per cent at the end of March 2023 to 85.69 per cent in March this year, at a yearly rate of growth of 1.39 per cent.

The number of wireless data subscribers has increased from 84.6 crore at the end of March 2023 to 91.3 crore at the end of March 2024 with a yearly rate of growth of 7.93 per cent.

“Further, total volume of wireless data usage increased from 1,60,054 PB (petabyte) during the year 2022-23 to 1,94,774 PB during the year 2023-24 with yearly growth of 21.69 per cent,” the TRAI data showed.

The telephone subscribers in India increased from 117.2 crore at the end of March last year to 119.9 crore, registering a yearly rate of growth of 2.3 per cent.

“Average minutes of usage (MOUs) per subscriber per month increased from 919 during the year 2022-23 to 963 in 2023-24 with yearly rate of growth of 4.73 per cent,” according to the data.

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