But a closer look at India’s telecom data suggests the country’s digital divide is becoming less about network coverage and more about internet adoption.
Elon Musk has once again pitched Starlink as a solution to India’s connectivity gaps, saying the satellite internet service would help the country’s “least served” regions, particularly rural areas.
The gap becomes starker when measured per capita. The disparity persists despite mobile connectivity reaching most villages across the country. Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Haryana and Kerala have mobile coverage in virtually all villages.
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) data shows that India had over 1.09 billion internet subscribers as of March 2026. rural India had about 441 million While urban India accounted for nearly 652 million subscribers. Urban India had 126.8 internet subscribers per 100 people, compared with just 48.3 per 100 people in rural areas. Rajya Sabha written reply on Jan 29, 2026, shows that village mobile coverage (3G to 5G) in many states have already achieved near-universal mobile network access. Bihar, often cited as one of India’s least connected states, has mobile coverage in 99.9 per cent of its villages, while Assam, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand also report coverage levels above 99 per cent.
