Reliance Jio overtakes BSNL as largest fixed line broadband provider

Reliance Jio has toppled 20 -year-old state-run telecom company BSNL as largest fixed line broadband provider, in just about two years of its commercial rollout.

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

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.

The segment had been dominated by the state-run telecom since its inception about 20 years ago. While Jio started from scratch in September 2019, BSNL had 8.69 million wired broadband customers already then.

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. At a similar growth pace it is expected to overtake BSNL soon.