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Reliance Jio Poised to Emerge as Leading Global Fixed Wireless Access Player

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Reliance Jio Poised to Emerge as Leading Global Fixed Wireless Access Player
30 Jun 2025
5 min read

News Synopsis

Reliance Jio, India’s leading telecom provider, is on track to become the world’s largest Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) service provider by subscriber count, surpassing global competitors like T-Mobile, according to a report by ICICI Securities. With rapid subscriber additions and dominance in India’s broadband segment, Jio is poised to cement its position in the global FWA space.

Jio Nears Global Leadership in FWA Subscriber Base

According to data released by TRAI, Reliance Jio's total 5G FWA subscriber base, including users on unlicensed band radio (UBR) networks, reached 6.88 million as of May 2025. This figure places Jio marginally ahead of T-Mobile, which had 6.85 million FWA users in March 2025.

The report by analysts Sanjesh Jain, Mohit Mishra, and Aparajita Chakraborty highlights that Reliance Jio is on course to become the dominant global player in FWA by June 2025.

Subscriber Reclassification and Net Additions

Jio recently reclassified 1 million UBR-based FWA subscribers under the FTTx (fiber-to-the-x) category. After this adjustment, the net FWA base stood at 5.9 million in May. Despite the reclassification, Jio added 0.74 million new FWA customers in that month alone.

The industry-wide FWA subscriber base, excluding UBR, stood at 7.4 million, with Jio accounting for the majority share.

“RJio’s FWA base (including UBR) stood at 6.88 million, nearly overtaking T-Mobile,” the ICICI Securities report noted.

Jio’s Dominance in India’s Broadband Market

Beyond its FWA performance, Reliance Jio continues to dominate India’s overall broadband market, which includes both wired and wireless services. As of May 2025:

  • Fixed wired broadband subscribers: 13.51 million

  • Wireless broadband subscribers: 480.96 million

This gives Reliance Jio a 50.72% market share in the Indian broadband segment, significantly ahead of its closest competitor.

Airtel Holds Second Position in India

Bharti Airtel, Jio’s main rival, holds a 30.99% share in the broadband market. Despite the gap, Airtel also continues to grow steadily and remains a major player in India’s telecom landscape.

Together, Jio and Airtel dominate India’s telecom market, both in wireless and broadband services.

India’s Telecom Market Growth in May 2025

The total telecom subscriber base in India rose marginally to 1.207 billion in May 2025. During this period, Jio and Airtel added over 99% of the new subscribers, underlining their continued market leadership.

  • Total net subscriber additions (all telcos): 4.36 million

  • Combined net additions by Jio and Airtel: 4.35 million

  • Jio and Airtel share of total additions: 99.84%

This indicates that nearly every new telecom user in May 2025 joined either Jio or Airtel.

FWA: A Strategic Growth Avenue for Jio

Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) has emerged as a crucial pillar in Jio’s strategy to expand high-speed internet across rural and semi-urban India. With limited fiber penetration in remote regions, FWA offers a scalable and cost-effective way to deliver 5G connectivity without the need for extensive infrastructure.

Jio’s ability to leverage unlicensed bands, alongside licensed spectrum, has accelerated the deployment of FWA services and contributed to its rapid subscriber growth.

Conclusion: Jio’s Global Ambitions on the Rise

With aggressive expansion, rapid customer acquisition, and dominant domestic performance, Reliance Jio is poised to surpass T-Mobile and become the world’s leading FWA provider by subscriber base. Its leadership in India’s broadband sector and focus on next-gen connectivity solutions are setting the stage for Jio’s emergence as a global telecom powerhouse.

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Reliance Jio is on track to surpass T-Mobile as the world’s largest Fixed Wireless Access provider by subscribers.

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