A decade ago, rural India's telecom story was still closely tied to expanding mobile connectivity, with voice at its core. Today, it is about building better networks, increasing data use and expanding the range of services.
Data spanning a decade of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) annual reports shows how sharply India's rural telecom landscape has changed. Rural wireless subscribers rose from about 419.31 million in FY15 to more than 535 million by FY21, before standing at around 518 million in March 2023. Rural subscribers accounted for roughly 42%-45% of India's wireless base through much of this period.
