Fixed broadband revenue in India is expected to increase steadily, supported by upgrades to higher-ARPU FTTH plans and wider digital adoption
In sum – what to know:
Broadband growth – Fixed services revenue will rise to $20.1 billion by 2030, driven by fiber and FWA adoption.
Pricing pressure – Intense competition and affordability measures are compressing tariffs and margins.
FWA role – FWA is scaling rapidly as a complement to fiber, especially in underserved areas of the country.
India’s fixed communication services market is set for steady expansion over the next five years, with growth increasingly tied to broadband adoption, pricing strategies, and the evolving role of fixed wireless access (FWA).
According to research firm GlobalData, total fixed communication services revenue in India will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.1%, rising from $14.9 billion in 2025 to $20.1 billion by 2030. This growth will be driven primarily by the fixed broadband segment, even as traditional voice revenues continue to decline.
GlobalData forecasts that fixed voice services revenue will decline at a CAGR of 0.6% over the same period, reflecting declining average revenue per user (ARPU) and the continued shift toward mobile and OTT-based communication services. In contrast, fixed broadband revenue is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.6%, supported by rising demand for high-speed connectivity and increasing adoption of fiber and FWA services.
Fiber is expected to play a dominant role in this expansion. By 2030, FTTH/B is projected to account for around 63% of total broadband lines, supported by government investment in fiber infrastructure and continued rollout efforts by operators, according to the research firm.
Pricing dynamics remain a critical variable shaping the market. Competition in India’s FTTH segment is intense, with regulatory measures also influencing affordability and market expansion. “The Indian FTTH market is characterized by heavy competition, which keeps prices competitive. Key initiatives by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), such as mandating FTTH plans of up to 200 Mbps be sold to Public Data Offices (PDOs) at restricted rates, further encourage affordability and rural penetration,” Srikanth Vaidya, associate project manager at GlobalData, told RCR Wireless News.
While FTTH services continue to generate higher ARPU compared to other technologies, operators are increasingly introducing lower-cost plans to expand into rural and lower-income segments, contributing to downward pressure on tariffs.
“FTTH services continue to command higher ARPU compared to other fixed broadband technologies as operators cater to strong demand for high-speed broadband services, especially from urban and high-income households and business establishments. However, as FTTH reaches deeper into rural and low-income segments, operators offer more variety such as entry-level fiber plans, and extended validity period on annual and semi-annual plans, compressing average tariffs,” Vaidya said.
At the same time, competitive strategies differ among leading operators. Reliance Jio has taken an aggressive pricing and bundling approach, combining broadband with entertainment and digital services to accelerate subscriber growth. Bharti Airtel, by contrast, is focusing on service quality and digital platforms to support customer retention and higher ARPU, he added.
Despite pricing pressure, revenue growth is expected to remain positive, supported by increasing broadband penetration and upgrades to higher-value plans, although profitability may face constraints.
“Even with ongoing pricing pressure, total fixed broadband revenue is expected to increase steadily, supported by upgrades to higher-ARPU FTTH plans and wider digital adoption. However, margins are being squeezed by rising operating costs and capex linked to fiber expansion, customer subsidies, and regulatory requirements,” Vaidya said.
Alongside fiber, FWA is emerging as a key growth driver, albeit from a smaller base. GlobalData forecasts FWA subscriptions to grow at a CAGR of 20.7% through 2030, supported by 5G deployments from operators such as Jio, Airtel, and BSNL.
“The rapid growth of Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) is largely seen as a strategic complement to fiber, though it frequently acts as a pragmatic substitute in underserved regions where physical infrastructure is too costly or slow to deploy. Leading operators like Airtel and Reliance Jio are rolling out 5G FWA in thousands of cities but continue to prioritize fiber for long-term broadband network growth. For instance, Airtel positions its 5G FWA as part of a diversified broadband portfolio, with FTTH remaining central to its strategy for delivering the highest speeds and reliability for a broad range of use cases,” he said.
“Operators recognize that fiber is the “gold standard” for bandwidth and latency-sensitive applications, especially in metro and high-density urban markets, while FWA is often positioned as a transitional option, letting operators scale coverage quickly in semi-urban, rural, and hard-to-reach locations while fiber expansion continues in parallel,” Vaidya added.
