Summary:
Bharti Airtel secured the top position across all five home broadband performance parameters in Opensignal’s November 2026 report, outperforming Jio and BSNL in reliability, consistent quality, download speed, upload speed and video experience. Airtel also led Jio across every fixed wireless broadband metric, earning the Best Fixed Wireless Home Internet title. The recognition comes amid growing demand for FWA services, as Airtel continues prioritising fibre expansion while using wireless technology to extend broadband connectivity to areas beyond its fibre network coverage.
Bharti Airtel outperformed Reliance Jio and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) across all five key parameters in Opensignal’s November 2026 India Fixed Broadband Experience report. The company secured the top position in reliability, consistent quality, download speed, upload speed and video experience, earning the Best Home Internet recognition. Airtel also dominated the separate fixed wireless access (FWA) assessment against Jio, receiving the Best Fixed Wireless Home Internet title.
Opensignal’s assessment was based on data gathered between April 1 and June 29, 2026. The Overall Experience category evaluates all three operators across different broadband technologies. The report separately examines fixed wireless services, providing a direct comparison of Airtel and Jio’s wireless home broadband offerings.
Airtel Outperforms Jio and BSNL in Home Broadband Reliability
Airtel achieved a reliability score of 486 on Opensignal’s scale of 100 to 1,000, surpassing Jio’s 423 and BSNL’s 419. Its score was 63 points higher than Jio’s, representing an advantage of approximately 15 per cent. The reliability assessment measures how effectively users can access the internet and carry out regular activities, including video conferencing and streaming, across multiple connected devices without disruptions.
Airtel’s average download and upload speeds across overall broadband services were approximately 26 to 27 per cent higher than Jio’s. BSNL recorded comparatively similar speeds to Airtel, falling behind by only 0.5 Mbps in downloads and 0.8 Mbps in uploads. However, the reliability gap between the two operators was more pronounced, with Airtel maintaining a 67-point advantage over BSNL.
Airtel Tops Every Fixed Wireless Broadband Category Against Jio
In fixed wireless download performance, Airtel registered an average speed of 32.4 Mbps, compared with Jio’s 25.7 Mbps, giving it a lead of 6.7 Mbps. Its average upload speed also remained higher at 20.7 Mbps, against 17.1 Mbps for Jio. Opensignal’s speed measurements represent average performance experienced by customers through Wi-Fi connections during the assessment period.
On the Fixed Wireless Consistent Quality metric, Airtel secured 66.2 per cent, exceeding Jio’s 55.0 per cent by 11.2 percentage points. This parameter evaluates network performance based on download and upload speeds, latency, jitter and packet loss. Airtel further achieved a 68-point lead over Jio in fixed wireless reliability, recording 450 points against 382. The company also claimed the video experience category.
Airtel Focuses on Fibre Expansion Amid Rising Fixed Wireless Demand
Airtel’s strong performance in fixed wireless broadband comes as the company continues to give priority to fibre-based connectivity for expanding its home broadband business. During its Q1 FY27 earnings call, the operator indicated that it was increasingly focusing on fibre deployment while reserving fixed wireless technology for locations where extending fibre infrastructure was not feasible. This approach enables Airtel to expand broadband availability in areas outside its existing fibre network.
Fixed wireless connections recorded stronger subscription growth than conventional wired broadband in August. According to Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) figures referenced by Opensignal, India had 48.6 million fixed wired broadband connections and 19.3 million FWA subscriptions at the end of August 2026. During the month, FWA subscriptions increased by 2.7 per cent, compared with a 1.0 per cent rise in fixed wired broadband connections.
According to the report’s market overview, Reliance Jio accounted for 9.4 million of India’s 13.5 million 5G fixed wireless subscriptions in August. This 5G segment represents only a portion of the overall FWA market. Although Jio maintained the highest subscriber count in the 5G fixed wireless segment during August, Airtel secured the leading position across all fixed wireless experience parameters assessed by Opensignal between April and June.
