Odisha telecom market expands as Jio strengthens broadband and 5G footprint

PRIYABRAT BISWAL

BHUBANESWAR, OCTOBER 27, 2026

Odisha’s telecom market continued to expand in September 2026, with Reliance Jio adding subscribers across mobile, fixed-line broadband and 5G-based fixed wireless access services, even as India’s total broadband subscriber base crossed 1.107 billion, according to the latest data released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

The state recorded a net addition of 2.10 lakh wireless mobile subscribers during September, taking its total mobile subscriber base to 3.94 crore. Jio’s subscriber base in Odisha rose to 1.89 crore from 1.87 crore in August, while the state’s overall wireless subscriber base increased to 3.94 crore, reflecting continued expansion in telecom connectivity.

Nationally, Jio retained its position as the country’s largest broadband service provider, with 541.17 million subscribers at the end of September, followed by Bharti Airtel with 388.86 million, Vodafone Idea with 131 million and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) with 28.55 million. Atria Convergence Technologies Ltd occupied the fifth position with 2.50 million subscribers.

India’s total broadband subscriber base increased from 1,101.21 million in August to 1,107.68 million in September, registering monthly growth of 0.59 per cent. The figures were compiled from information received from 1,596 operators.

The broadband market’s expansion was driven primarily by wireless connectivity. Mobile wireless broadband subscriptions rose to 1,039.09 million from 1,033.24 million, while fixed wireless access subscriptions increased to 19.70 million from 19.34 million. Fixed wired broadband subscriptions edged up to 48.89 million from 48.63 million.

Jio also maintained its lead in fixed wired broadband, with 14.92 million subscribers nationally, ahead of Airtel’s 11.55 million and BSNL’s 4.59 million. In the combined fixed wireless and mobile broadband segment, Jio had 526.25 million subscribers, compared with Airtel’s 377.31 million and Vodafone Idea’s 130.99 million.

Odisha’s fixed-line market also registered growth. Its wireline subscriber base increased by 22,103 during September to 8.61 lakh, against 8.39 lakh in August. Jio’s wireline subscriber base in the state rose to 3.88 lakh from 3.85 lakh, while Airtel’s increased to 1.33 lakh. BSNL had around 1.62 lakh wireline subscribers.

The state’s fixed wireless access segment recorded further expansion, particularly in 5G-based services. Odisha’s total 5G fixed wireless subscriber base rose to 4.63 lakh in September from 4.55 lakh in August. Jio accounted for 3.66 lakh subscribers, up from 3.60 lakh, while Airtel’s base increased to 96,172 from 94,547.

Jio was also the only operator reporting subscribers under the unlicensed band radio-based fixed wireless access category in the TRAI data. Its UBR fixed wireless subscriber base in Odisha increased to 79,665 in September from 76,404 in August, reflecting growing adoption of wireless broadband access.

At the national level, 5G fixed wireless subscriptions increased to 13.61 million from 13.45 million, with rural subscribers accounting for 51.89 per cent of the total. UBR-based fixed wireless subscriptions reached 5.58 million, up from 5.37 million, with Jio reporting the entire subscriber base in this category.

India’s overall wireless subscriber base, including mobile and fixed wireless access, increased to 1,319.19 million in September from 1,312.25 million in August, registering monthly growth of 0.53 per cent. Total telephone subscribers, including wireline connections, rose to 1,367.93 million from 1,360.70 million, while overall tele-density improved to 95.52 per cent from 95.07 per cent.

The wireless mobile subscriber base alone reached 1.30 billion, with urban subscriptions at 753.85 million and rural subscriptions at 546.14 million. Urban wireless subscriptions grew by 0.67 per cent during the month, compared with 0.29 per cent in rural areas. Private operators together held 92.74 per cent of the wireless mobile market, while public sector providers BSNL and MTNL accounted for 7.26 per cent.

The report also highlighted the growing importance of machine-to-machine connectivity. Cellular M2M connections increased to 144.85 million in September from 140.50 million in August. Airtel led this segment with 88.58 million connections and a 61.16 per cent market share, followed by Jio, Vodafone Idea and BSNL.

Meanwhile, mobile number portability requests nationwide reached 16.77 million during September. Odisha recorded 2,92,961 porting requests, marginally lower than 2,93,186 in August, indicating continued subscriber movement among operators.