TRAI February 2026 Data: Vodafone Idea Shows Modest Growth as Airtel and Jio Lead Subscriber Gains

India’s telecom sector witnessed steady growth in February 2026, as per the latest report released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. While Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio continued to dominate subscriber additions, Vodafone Idea also registered a marginal gain, signaling signs of stability in an otherwise competitive market.

Overall Wireless Subscriber Growth in India

According to TRAI’s telecom subscription data for February 2026, the total number of wireless subscribers (including mobile and Fixed Wireless Access) increased from 1,266.34 million in January to 1,273.31 million in February. This reflects a monthly growth rate of 0.55 percent.

Specifically, mobile-only wireless subscribers rose from 1,250.89 million to 1,257.29 million, marking a growth rate of 0.51 percent. This consistent increase indicates sustained demand for mobile connectivity across the country.

Wireless tele-density, which measures the number of connections per 100 individuals, also improved from 88.87 percent to 89.30 percent. The inclusion of Machine-to-Machine (M2M) cellular connections has further contributed to this upward trend.

5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) Growth Trends

The adoption of 5G-powered Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) services continued to expand during February 2026. Total 5G FWA subscribers increased from 11.53 million at the end of January to 11.93 million in February.

Urban areas accounted for 6.01 million subscribers (50.38 percent), while rural regions closely followed with 5.92 million subscribers (49.62 percent), highlighting balanced growth across geographies.

Among operators, Bharti Airtel reported 3.59 million 5G FWA users, adding over 229,000 subscribers during the month. Meanwhile, Reliance Jio led the segment with 8.34 million users, adding approximately 174,800 new subscribers.

Additionally, Reliance Jio remained the only telecom operator reporting UBR (Unlicensed Band Radio) FWA subscribers. Its UBR FWA base increased from 3.91 million to 4.08 million, reflecting steady growth in this niche segment.

Subscriber Gains and Losses Across Telecom Operators

February 2026 saw mixed performance among telecom service providers in terms of subscriber additions.

Bharti Airtel emerged as the top gainer, adding nearly 4.86 million wireless subscribers. Reliance Jio followed with an addition of 1.62 million users, maintaining its strong market position.

Vodafone Idea registered a modest gain of 21,927 wireless subscribers, indicating gradual recovery efforts. In contrast, state-owned operators BSNL and MTNL reported losses of 101,824 and 2,701 subscribers, respectively.

Interestingly, all Licensed Service Areas (LSAs) recorded growth in wireless subscribers except Kolkata, which witnessed a decline during the month.

Wireless Market Share Distribution

As of February 28, 2026, private telecom operators continued to dominate the Indian wireless market, holding a combined share of 92.59 percent. BSNL and MTNL together accounted for the remaining 7.41 percent.

Reliance Jio led the market with a 39.22 percent share and 493.11 million subscribers. Bharti Airtel followed closely with a 37.59 percent share and 472.65 million users.

Vodafone Idea held a 15.78 percent market share with 198.38 million subscribers, maintaining its position as the third-largest private operator. BSNL accounted for 7.39 percent with 92.93 million subscribers, while MTNL held a negligible 0.02 percent share.

Wireless Broadband Subscriber Base

In the wireless broadband segment, Reliance Jio maintained its leadership with 505.54 million subscribers, the highest in the country.

Bharti Airtel followed with 353.61 million users, while Vodafone Idea reported 129.35 million subscribers. BSNL lagged behind with 24.26 million broadband users.

This segment continues to grow rapidly, driven by increasing data consumption, affordable plans, and expanding 4G and 5G coverage.

Wireline Subscriber Growth Continues

The wireline segment also showed positive momentum in February 2026. The total number of wireline subscribers increased from 47.66 million in January to 47.99 million in February, representing a net addition of 0.34 million users.

Reliance Jio led this segment with a 31.36 percent market share and over 15 million subscribers, adding more than 117,000 users during the month.

Bharti Airtel held a 23.74 percent share with approximately 11.39 million subscribers, registering the highest addition of over 231,000 users.

Vodafone Idea accounted for a smaller share of around 1.75 percent, with about 841,000 subscribers, while BSNL maintained a 15.45 percent share with over 7.41 million users.

Rise in M2M Cellular Connections

Machine-to-Machine (M2M) cellular connections saw notable growth, increasing from 113.46 million in January to 118.47 million in February 2026.

Bharti Airtel dominated this segment with 73.49 million connections, accounting for a 62.03 percent market share. Reliance Jio followed with 21.75 million connections, while Vodafone Idea and BSNL reported 19.32 million and 3.92 million connections, respectively.

The growth in M2M connections reflects the increasing adoption of IoT (Internet of Things) technologies across industries.

Active Wireless Subscribers and VLR Data

Out of the total 1,257.29 million wireless subscribers, approximately 1,177.60 million were active during February 2026, based on peak Visitor Location Register (VLR) data. This translates to an active user ratio of 93.66 percent.

Bharti Airtel recorded the highest peak VLR percentage at 99.42 percent, indicating strong user engagement. Reliance Jio also performed well with 98.35 percent.

Vodafone Idea reported an active subscriber ratio of 85.24 percent, while BSNL stood at 57.34 percent. MTNL showed an unusually high VLR figure of 143.16 percent, which may be attributed to technical or reporting factors.

Conclusion

The TRAI data for February 2026 highlights the continued expansion of India’s telecom sector, driven by rising mobile penetration, 5G adoption, and broadband usage.

While Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio remain dominant players, Vodafone Idea’s modest subscriber gain indicates gradual stabilization. Meanwhile, BSNL and MTNL continue to face challenges in retaining users.

Overall, the industry is moving toward a more data-driven and digitally connected future, with 5G, FWA, and IoT playing crucial roles in shaping the next phase of growth.