Reliance Jio topples BSNL as largest fixed line broadband provider

In about two years of commercial roll out of its fixed-line broadband services, Reliance Jio has toppled 20 -year-old state-run telecom company BSNL as top service provider in the segment.

According to a monthly telecom subscribers report released by the telecom regulator Trai on Tuesday, Jio now leads the fixed-line broadband segment with 4.34 million customers.

The segment had been dominated by the state-run telecom since its inception about 20 years ago.

Reliance Jio fixed-line broadband customer base increased to 4.34 million in November from 4.16 million in October.

BSNL's customer base declined to 4.2 million in November from 4.72 million in October. Bharti Airtel fixed line broadband customer base stood at 4.08 million in November.

Jio started commercial roll out of fixed line broadband service, JioFibre, in September 2019.

While Jio started from scratch, BSNL had 8.69 million wired broadband customers in September 2019 which reduced to less than half in November 2021.

Bharti Airtel's wired broadband subscriber base has grown by about 70 per cent to 4.08 million in November 2021 from 2.41 million in September 2019 and at a similar growth pace it is expected to overtake BSNL soon.

The broadband subscribers in the country grew to 801.6 million in November from 798.95 million in October with Reliance Jio maintaining its lead in the segment, according to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) subscribers report.

"Top five service providers constituted 98.68 per cent market share of the total broadband subscribers at the end of November," Trai said.

Reliance Jio's total broadband subscriber base stood at 432.96 million in November. It was followed by Bharti Airtel with 210.10 million broadband customers, VIL 122.40 million, BSNL 23.62 million and Atria Convergence broadband customer base stood at 1.98 million.