Telecom Sector Sees Marginal Growth: Wireless ARPU rises to Rs 182.95 in March quarter

The Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) for wireless services saw a modest increase of 0.64 per cent in the March quarter.

According to data from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), ARPU rose from Rs 181.80 in December to Rs 182.95 in March.

This metric represents the average revenue generated per user, providing insight into the telecom industry’s revenue trends. As per the report, on a Y-O-Y basis, monthly ARPU for wireless service increased by 19.16 per cent in this quarter.

The ARPU per month for the prepaid segment is Rs 182.53, and the ARPU per month for the postpaid segment is Rs 187.48 for QE March of the current year, the data shows. 

According to TRAI’s “Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicator Report,” India’s internet subscriber base saw a marginal decline of 0.11 per cent in the March quarter.

The subscriber count dipped from 970.16 million at the end of December 2023 to 969.10 million at the end of March 2024.

The internet subscriber base consists of 944.12 million broadband internet subscribers and 24.98 million narrowband internet subscribers. This slight decline reflects a minor shift in the telecom landscape during this period.

Telecom operators have seen a rise in ARPU following the recent tariff hikes.

On an all-India average, the overall Minutes Of Usage (MOU) per month increased by 1.64 per cent from 1009 in QE Dec 2024 to 1026 in QE Mar 2025, the quarterly data shows.

The quarterly data reveals a marginal decline in internet subscribers.

The broadband internet subscriber base decreased by 0.09 per cent from 944.96 million to 944.12 million between December and March.

Similarly, the narrowband internet subscriber base declined from 25.20 million to 24.98 million during the same period. Wireline subscribers saw a more significant drop, decreasing by 5.67 per cent from 39.27 million to 37.04 million. 

The telecom regulator said that the decrease is due to the accounting of 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) subscribers in the wireless category.

On a Y-O-Y basis, wireline subscriptions increased by 9.62 per cent at the end of QE Mar-25, the data shows.

Further, the data shows that the wireline tele density decreased from 2.79 per cent at the end of December 2024 to 2.62 per cent at the end of March 2025, with a quarterly rate of decline of 5.88 per cent.

Inputs from ANI