Rural Telecom Growth Outpaces Urban, Narrows Digital Divide: Economic Survey
Business
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Moneycontrol•29-01-2026, 12:55
Rural Telecom Growth Outpaces Urban, Narrows Digital Divide: Economic Survey
- •India's rural telecom connections are growing faster than urban, significantly narrowing the digital divide, according to the Economic Survey.
- •Tele-density increased from 75% in 2014 to 86.8% by November 2025, with total connections exceeding 1.2 billion.
- •Internet subscriptions surged from 250 million in 2014 to 1.018 billion by September 2025, driven by a drastic fall in data tariffs.
- •Average monthly data usage per subscriber soared from 62 MB in 2014 to nearly 25 GB by mid-2025, making mobile internet highly affordable.
- •India has developed indigenous 4G and 5G core technologies, supported by initiatives like BharatNet and 6G research, strengthening its telecom infrastructure.
Why It Matters: Rural telecom expansion and falling data costs are driving India's digital inclusion and economic growth.
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