Jio, Airtel Questioned By Telecom Regulator Over Misreporting 5G AirFiber Subscriber Data — Profit Exclusive

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has asked Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel Ltd. to clarify how they classify their 5G-based home WiFi services—raising critical questions about whether their AirFiber offerings should be counted as wireless or wired broadband.

The telecom regulator had issued directives to both companies on May 27, flagging concerns that users accessing high-speed internet over 5G Fixed Wireless Access, possibly in the millions, may be reported as “wireline” or “fixed-line” subscribers, potentially distorting official broadband penetration data.

Telecom firms are following globally accepted definitions of fixed broadband, including those from the International Telecommunication Union and TRAI itself, which clearly list fixed wireless access as part of wireline broadband, and industry official told NDTV Profit on the condition of anonymity.

Since 5G FWA is installed at a fixed location and delivers consistent high-speed internet, it qualifies as a fixed broadband service irrespective of the access medium, the person said.

At the center of this regulatory scrutiny is Jio’s and Airtel’s 'AirFiber' services—both marketed as plug-and-play broadband for homes, using 5G to deliver internet without laying physical cables. While these services operate wirelessly from telecom towers to customer homes, they are often 'fixed in place' and used like traditional broadband setups.

According to people in the know, TRAI’s concern stems from a sharp spike in Jio’s wireline subscriber numbers last year, followed by a sudden decline after the regulator intervened.

The regulator has now formalised its position by writing to both Jio and Airtel, seeking details on how they categorise their 5G FWA users, and whether the reporting aligns with licensing norms and technical definitions of 'wireline services.

The classification matters because it affects how India tracks broadband growth and how telecom companies are charged for their services. Reporting wireless users as wired could give a misleading picture of India’s fiber connectivity progress—critical for national digital targets. It also has revenue implications, since levies and license fees differ between wireless and wireline categories.

According to people in the know, Jio has issued a response to TRAI, in which the company has argued that AirFiber should count as wireline broadband because the device is fixed at the user’s premises and functions like a traditional broadband connection additionally. The company has been following standards prescribe by ITU globally, the people said. However, TRAI maintains that the transport layer—whether the signal is delivered over fiber, cable, or wireless spectrum—is essential to the classification.

A final ruling from the regulator could have wide-ranging implications, not just for Jio and Airtel, but for the future of FWA services in India. It could also prompt changes in how subscriber data is reported, how levies are calculated, and how India measures progress on fixed broadband targets.

For now, existing users of Jio and Airtel’s AirFiber services are unlikely to see any change in connection speeds or pricing. But how these connections are counted could shift the landscape for telecom reporting and policy in the months ahead.