News Desk
24 July 2025, 08:36 PM IST
India’s mobile connections soar past 1.1 billion, paving the way for 6G rollout. Learn about data usage, internet costs, and the government’s 6G vision
Representational image | Photo: Canva
New Delhi: India’s digital landscape is rapidly evolving, with a significant surge in mobile connections and data consumption across states. This progress was highlighted in a recent parliamentary session focusing on the nation’s connectivity and its ambitious plans for 6G technology.
Minister shares key connectivity statistics in Rajya Sabha
Union Minister of Communications and Development of North Eastern Region, Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, shared key figures in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday. The statement, in response to a question by Sumitra Balmik, detailed the state-wise distribution of mobile connections, average internet data usage, and the trend in internet costs, alongside the government’s strategic steps for 6G rollout.
Leading state in mobile subscriber base
As of May 31, 2025, Uttar Pradesh is leading with an impressive 165,209,405 wireless subscribers, followed by Maharashtra with 122,574,423 subscribers, and West Bengal securing the third position with 78,460,023 wireless subscribers. The all-India total for wireless subscribers stands at 1,161,026,380. Meanwhile, Kerala accounted for 41,398,165 wireless subscribers. This underscores the widespread adoption of mobile services within the state.
Data consumption patterns across states
In terms of internet data consumption, the states with the highest average wireless data usage are Arunachal Pradesh, leading with 33.68 GB, followed by Sikkim at 32.40 GB, and Lakshadweep with 29.36 GB. Meanwhile, Kerala’s wireless users recorded an average usage of 23.08 GB per month as of May 31, 2025. While substantial, this is slightly below the national weighted average of 24.56 GB per wireless data subscriber per month.
Internet data prices drop sharply over a decade
The cost of internet data has experienced a remarkable decline over the past decade, significantly enhancing affordability and accessibility. In March 2014, the average cost per GB for wireless data usage was Rs. 268.97. This plummeted to Rs. 11.23 by March 2020, marking a dramatic 95.82% decline. The trend of decreasing costs continued, with the average cost dropping further to Rs. 8.97 per GB by March 2025, a 20.12% decline from March 2020 levels.
India charts a path to 6G leadership
Looking ahead, the Ministry of Communications is taking proactive measures to position India as a global leader in 6G technology. The “Bharat 6G Vision Document,” released in March 2023, outlines a strategic roadmap to design, develop, and deploy 6G network technologies by 2030, aiming for ubiquitous, intelligent, and secure connectivity.
Government pushes for 6G innovation and research
To build a 6G-ready academic and start-up ecosystem, the government sanctioned 100 5G labs at academic institutions across India in FY 2023-24. Additionally, a 6G THz Testbed has been deployed through a consortium of academic institutions.
Further solidifying these efforts, the ‘Bharat 6G Alliance’ has been established, bringing together domestic industry, academia, national research institutions, and standards organizations to develop an action plan aligned with the Bharat 6G Vision.
Research and Development in emerging technologies, including 6G, are also actively funded through the Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF).
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