Lok Sabha Question No. 4577 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-20
Subject: Increase in Data Charges by Telecom Operators
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Shri Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4577 ANSWERED ON 20 TH  AUGUST, 2025

## INCREASE IN DATA CHARGES BY TELECOM OPERATORS

## 4577.   SHRI GURMEET SINGH MEET HAYER:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

(a) whether it is a fact that prepaid mobile data prices across major telecom operators such as Jio, Airtel, Vodafone-Idea and BSNL have increased significantly during the period 2020 and 2025, in some cases by over 50-100%, despite data being declared a basic necessity under the Digital India framework and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether the Government has conducted any assessment comparing the rise in mobile data costs with the growth in average household or per-capita income during the same period and if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether  it  is  a  fact  that  such  a  steep  rise  in  the  cost  of  essential  digital  communication disproportionately affects lower and middle-income citizens, thereby weakening the objectives of Digital India and if so, the details thereof; and

(d) the  details  of  the  policy  or  regulatory  measures  proposed  by  the  Government  to  ensure continued affordability of mobile data and protect digital access for all sections of society?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (DR. PEMMASANI CHANDRA SEKHAR)

(a) & (b) The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has the mandate to regulate the pricing  and  tariff  structures  of  telecom  services  under  Section  11(2)  of  the  TRAI  Act  1997.  In accordance  with  this  mandate,  TRAI  initiated  tariff  regulation  for  the  telecom  sector  through notification of the Telecommunication Tariff Order (TTO), 1999. For the last two decades, the tariffs for telecom services have been under forbearance, which means that telecom companies are at liberty to design their tariffs based on market forces of demand and supply.

As per yearly performance indicators -2024-25 issued by TRAI, the total average wireless revenue realization per subscriber per GB for all telecom access service providers for the last four financial years ( Annexure A ) indicates that average Wireless data Revenue per GB is on decreasing trend during last four years.

(c) & (d) This policy of forbearance has led to India having one of the lowest tariffs in the world based on recent ITU data (2024). The tele-density i.e. the number of telephone connections per 100 persons in a geographical area is now more than 80% and the internet penetration has also increased tremendously with more than 950 million Internet users as of present.

Furthermore, the Government has also taken various policy measures under the Telecommunication Act 2003 including expanding the Scope of Digital BharatNet Nidhi (erstwhile Universal Service Obligation Fund) from rural and remote areas to underserved rural, remote, and urban areas.

## Annexure referred in reply to part (a) & (b) of lok sabha unstarred question number 4577 on 'INDIA POST PAYMENTS BANK (IPPB)' answered on 20.08.2025 .

## Year wise Average Wireless data Revenue realization per GB (For Telecom Service Providers).

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|   S. No. | Period       |   Total Average Wireless data Revenue realization per GB (Rs.) | %Increase/Decrease   |
|----------|--------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------|
|        1 | FY 2021-2022 |                                                           9.93 | -                    |
|        2 | FY 2022-2023 |                                                          10.38 | 4.46                 |
|        3 | FY 2023-2024 |                                                           9.12 | -12.12               |
|        4 | FY 2024-2025 |                                                           8.97 | -1.67                |