Mumbai, April 26: Reliance Jio, India’s largest telecom operator, has emerged as the leader in adding 5G FWA (fixed-wireless access) subscribers for March 2026. The company welcomed 241,675 new 5G FWA users during this period. In contrast, Airtel added 148,514 new users, bringing Jio’s total 5G FWA user base to 8,584,110 (8.58 million) and Airtel’s to 3,737,658 (3.73 million). Both companies market their 5G FWA service under the name AirFiber.
AirFiber aims to close the connectivity gap in India, especially in urban areas where deploying fiber optics is challenging and costly. The installation of fiber requires numerous permissions and considerable time, making it less feasible in certain regions.
With AirFiber, telecom operators can provide high-speed broadband services to more households without the need for extensive fiber deployment. Currently, India boasts a total of 12.32 million 5G FWA users. Notably, Jio is also the sole operator offering UBR (unclicensed band radio) services in the country.
Jio’s UBR user base grew by 199,509, reaching 4,285,595 (4.28 million) users. Combined, Jio’s UBR and 5G FWA services, both branded as AirFiber, now total 12.86 million users. This significant growth indicates that Jio is attracting a substantial number of home users in the AirFiber segment, far surpassing Airtel.
Jio’s advantage stems from its early deployment of 5G SA (standalone) technology. Meanwhile, Airtel is in the process of rolling out 5G SA and aims to catch up with Jio in this competitive landscape. As of now, no other operators are in this space, leaving industry observers curious about when Vodafone Idea will make its entry.
My name is Narendra Jijhontiya. I am an experienced content writer with several years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including TECHNOLOGY, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.
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