Internet in India

Internet in India began in 1986 with access limited to the educational and research community, and public access was launched on 15 August 1995. As of March 2026, India had 1,092.79 million internet subscribers according to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), of which 1,065.88 million were broadband subscribers. By June 2026, the broadband subscriber base had risen further to 1,087.50 million. DataReportal estimated 1.03 billion internet users in India at the end of 2025, corresponding to 70% penetration. Average monthly mobile data consumption per user exceeded 31 GB in 2025. India ranks as the world’s second-largest 5G market with over 400 million 5G users. The Indian Government has pursued initiatives including Digital India, BharatNet, Common Service Centres, the UPI instant payment system, and Startup India to expand internet-based ecosystems.

History

1986: Early days and ERNET

In 1986, the history of the Internet in India began with the launch of the Educational Research Network (ERNET). The network was made available only to educational and research communities, even though early pre-internet computer networks had operated in India since the late 1970s by the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation and the Indian Military, along with general-use networks such as INDONET, NICNET, and VIKRAM. ERNET was initiated by the Department of Electronics (DoE), with funding from the Government of India and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), involving eight premier institutions: NCST Bombay, Indian Institute of Science, five Indian Institutes of Technology (Delhi, Mumbai, Kanpur, Kharagpur and Chennai), and the DoE in New Delhi. ERNET began as a multi-protocol network with both the TCP/IP and the OSI-IP protocol stacks running over the leased-line portion of the backbone. Since 1995, almost all traffic has been carried over TCP/IP.

In 1990, ERNET was allotted Class B IP address 144.16.0.0 by NIC (then InterNIC). Subsequently, Class C addresses were allotted by APNIC.

In January 1991, the first leased line of 9.6 kbit/s was installed between Delhi and Mumbai. In 1992, all IITs, IISc Bangalore, DOE Delhi and NCST Mumbai were connected by 9.6 kbit/s leased lines, and a 64 kbit/s Internet gateway link was commissioned from NCST Mumbai to UUNet in Virginia, United States.

In 1995, NICNet was established for communications between government institutions and was operated by the National Informatics Centre.

1995: Public internet in India

On 15 August 1995, the first publicly available internet service in India was launched by state-owned Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL). At the time, VSNL held a monopoly over international communications and private enterprise was not permitted in the sector. The service, known as the Gateway Internet Access Service (GIAS), provided 9.6 kbit/s speeds and was priced at ₹5,200 for 250 hours for individuals and higher rates for institutional and leased-line accounts. For the next decade the experience remained limited, with narrow-band dial-up connections below 56 kbit/s.

In 1997, Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) access was introduced.

2004: Broadband

In 2004, the government formulated its broadband policy, defining broadband as an always-on Internet connection with a download speed of 256 kbit/s or above. Growth accelerated after 2005 but remained constrained by last-mile access issues that were predominantly wired-line.

2010: Wireless broadband

In 2010, the government auctioned 3G spectrum, followed by 4G spectrum auctions, to improve speeds and reduce dependence on wired last-mile access. In 2013, the minimum broadband speed was raised to 512 kbit/s and further to 2 Mbit/s in 2023.

In 2020, the PM-WANI (Prime Minister Wi-Fi Access Network Interface) policy was launched to expand public Wi-Fi hotspots, particularly in rural areas, through Public Data Offices (PDOs).

2016: Reliance Jio and the digital explosion

On 5 September 2016, Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited commercially launched an all-IP 4G network based on Voice over LTE (VoLTE), skipping legacy 2G/3G infrastructure. The launch offered free voice calls and high-speed 4G data during promotional periods, followed by prices of roughly ₹10–₹50 per GB—over 90% cheaper than prevailing rates. This triggered rapid subscriber growth exceeding 100 million within 170 days and is widely referred to as the "Jio Effect".

2022–present: 5G rollout and preparation for 6G

Commercial 5G services began in 2022. By early 2026, 5G services were available in 99.9% of districts and covered approximately 85% of the population, with over 400 million 5G users, making India the world’s second-largest 5G market after China. As of March 2025, telecom service providers had installed 4.69 lakh 5G base transceiver stations, one of the fastest such rollouts globally. Around 25 crore mobile users had begun using 5G services since launch. By 2025, 5G accounted for nearly 47% of total mobile broadband traffic, with monthly 5G traffic reaching 12.9 exabytes.

India developed its own 4G stack (upgradable to 5G) in approximately two years, becoming only the fifth country in the world to do so. The Bharat 6G Alliance (B6GA) continues to drive indigenous 6G research under the Bharat 6G Mission with the aim of positioning India as a global leader by 2030.

According to the Economic Survey 2025–26, overall tele-density rose from 75.23% to 86.76% over the preceding decade, helping narrow the urban–rural digital divide. A sharp decline in wireless data tariffs contributed to the surge in average monthly data consumption.

Technologies

Wired Internet access technologies by usage share (approximate recent TRAI data):

1. Fibre (87.0%)
2. Ethernet/LAN (7.50%)
3. DSL (2.90%)
4. Cable modem (1.90%)
5. Leased line (0.70%)
6. Dial-up (0.01%)

Wireless Internet access technologies by usage share (approximate recent TRAI data):

1. LTE/4G (75.0%)
2. 5G (20.0%)
3. GPRS/EDGE (3.50%)
4. HSPA/WCDMA (1.50%)
5. Wi-Fi/other (0.50%)

Wireless Internet

Frequencies used for wireless Internet services in India include:

• 2G: GSM 900 MHz, GSM 1800 MHz
• 3G: WCDMA UMTS 2100 MHz, 900 MHz
• 4G: TD-LTE 2300 MHz, 2500 MHz; FD-LTE 2100 MHz, 1800 MHz, 900 MHz, 850 MHz
• CDMA: 800 MHz
• 5G: Multiple mid-band and mmWave bands allocated through auctions and administrative assignment

Wired Internet

Fixed-line technologies include digital subscriber line (DSL), dial-up, Ethernet/LAN, cable modem, fibre-to-the-home (FTTH), and leased lines. Fibre has become the dominant wired access technology.

Internet services

Internet user base

India has the second-highest number of Internet users in the world. According to TRAI, as of 31 March 2026:

Statistic	Figures
Total internet subscribers	1,092.79 million
Broadband subscribers	1,065.88 million
Narrowband subscribers	26.91 million
Wired internet subscribers	46.54 million
Wireless internet subscribers	1,046.26 million
Overall tele-density (telephone)	93.26%

By the end of June 2026, total broadband subscribers had reached 1,087.50 million. DataReportal estimated 1.03 billion internet users (70% penetration) at the end of 2025, while the IAMAI–Kantar Internet in India Report 2025 placed active internet users at 958 million, with rural areas accounting for approximately 57% of the active base and growing significantly faster than urban areas. Internet connections rose from 25.15 crore in March 2014 to over 100 crore by late 2025.

Rural telephone connections grew 42.9% from 377.78 million in March 2014 to 539.83 million in September 2025, nearly double the urban growth rate over the same period.

Broadband subscribers

As of June 2026, the leading broadband (wired + wireless) service providers by subscriber base were:

Provider	Subscribers (million)	Approximate share
Jio	532.21	48.94%
Airtel	379.97	34.94%
Vi	130.13	11.97%
BSNL	27.44	~2.5%
ACT	2.45	<0.3%

The top five providers together accounted for approximately 98.6% of the broadband market. Jio and Airtel also lead in the fixed wired broadband segment.

Internet service providers

Main article: List of internet service providers in India

More than 1,000 ISPs offer broadband and narrowband services. International Internet bandwidth continues to expand through new undersea cable systems.

Common Service Centres (CSC)

Common Service Centres remain a key component of Digital India, providing internet-enabled government and non-government services, particularly in rural and remote areas where individual connectivity may be limited.

Internet speed

5G has been the principal driver of improvements in mobile internet speeds since 2023. Median mobile download speeds reported by Speedtest Global Index in early-to-mid 2026 have frequently exceeded 100–160 Mbit/s, placing India among the higher-ranked large markets, while fixed broadband medians have typically ranged between approximately 60–100 Mbit/s depending on the measurement period. TRAI defines broadband as a minimum download speed of 2 Mbit/s.

Data cost and consumption

India ranks among the countries with the lowest mobile data costs globally. Average monthly mobile data consumption per user rose to over 31 GB in 2025 (Nokia MBiT Index), representing an 18% compound annual growth rate over the preceding five years. Overall monthly mobile data traffic exceeded 27 exabytes in 2025, with 5G contributing nearly half. Operator-reported figures for mid-2026 showed even higher averages on some networks (for example, approximately 43.7 GB per Jio user per month in Q1 FY27). The Economic Survey 2025–26 attributed the surge in data consumption in large part to the sharp fall in wireless data tariffs over the previous decade.

Global connectivity

India is connected by multiple undersea fibre-optic cable systems landing primarily at Mumbai, Chennai, Kochi, Tuticorin and Thiruvananthapuram, with newer landings expanding capacity on the eastern coast. Additional systems (including projects involving Reliance, Airtel, Meta, Google, Tata Communications and others) continue to be commissioned or planned. Domestic undersea cables link the mainland to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep. In September 2025, cuts to undersea cables in the Red Sea caused temporary disruptions across parts of Asia and the Middle East, including India; traffic was rapidly rerouted, demonstrating improved resilience.

Industry

E-commerce

Main article: E-commerce in India

The Indian e-commerce market continues to expand, supported by rising smartphone penetration, affordable data, UPI-based payments, and growth in Tier-II and Tier-III cities as well as direct-to-consumer brands.

Data centres

Data-centre capacity has expanded substantially, with hyperscale facilities operated by domestic and international providers (including AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft, and Indian operators) concentrated in Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Delhi-NCR and other locations.

Internet exchange points

Major internet exchange points operating in India include NIXI, Mumbai IX, Extreme IX, DE-CIX India and others that facilitate peering among ISPs.

Telecom equipment manufacturing

Under the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for telecom and networking products (launched in 2021 with an outlay of ₹12,195 crore), investments exceeding ₹4,700 crore were attracted by early 2026. The scheme generated sales of more than ₹1,00,000 crore (including ₹21,000 crore in exports) and nearly 30,000 jobs. Telecom equipment exports rose 51.2% year-on-year in FY25, while imports declined at an average annual rate of 18.5% between FY21 and FY25.

Challenges

Cybercrimes and cyber awareness

Rising internet adoption has been accompanied by growth in cybercrimes, including phishing, digital-arrest scams, financial frauds, romance and investment scams, and organised fraud factories. Cyber-awareness levels remain uneven, particularly among newer and rural users. Reporting windows for financial fraud and compensation mechanisms continue to be subjects of policy discussion. Agencies including CERT-In, the National Cyber Coordination Centre, and the Data Security Council of India play central roles in prevention and response.

Censorship

Main article: Internet censorship in India

Internet censorship is selectively practised by central and state governments through DNS filtering, content blocking under court orders, and related measures. Freedom House has rated India “Partly Free” in recent Freedom on the Net reports.

Digital divide

Although rural internet adoption has accelerated and now accounts for a majority of active users according to some surveys, significant gaps persist in quality of access, device ownership, digital skills, and gender. COVID-19 accelerated adoption, but hundreds of millions remain offline or under-connected. Rural telephone connections nevertheless grew nearly twice as fast as urban connections between 2014 and 2025.

Net neutrality

In February 2016, TRAI prohibited discriminatory pricing of data, affirming net neutrality principles. The framework continues to guide regulation of over-the-top services and zero-rating practices.

Future

The Bharat 6G Alliance (B6GA), formed to advance India’s indigenous 6G ecosystem with the goal of global leadership by 2030, had expanded to 90 members by mid-July 2026. It operates through seven working groups covering spectrum, radio access and core networks, AI and sensing with security, device technologies, standards, green and sustainability, and use cases. A national Spectrum Roadmap for 6G has been published, a terahertz testbed has been approved, and member organisations collectively hold thousands of related patent filings. India has increased its participation in global standardisation bodies including 3GPP. Affordability, sustainability and ubiquity remain core principles of the national 6G vision. Parallel progress on an indigenous 4G/5G stack has already demonstrated technological self-reliance.

See also

• General
  • Internet censorship in India
  • Electronics and semiconductor manufacturing industry in India
  • National Optical Fibre Network
  • Media of India
  • Telecommunications in India
• Services
  • Common Service Centres
  • Digital India
  • Over-the-top media services in India
  • Mobile telephone numbering in India
• Global lists
  • List of countries by number of Internet users
  • List of mobile phone brands by country
  • List of sovereign states by number of broadband Internet subscriptions
  • List of sovereign states by Internet connection speeds
  • List of countries by smartphone penetration