Summary:
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has emerged as the leading fixed-line internet provider in FY26, surpassing Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, according to nPerf. The ranking is based on nPoints, which measure overall internet performance across speed, latency, and browsing and streaming quality. BSNL stood out with strong growth in download speeds, superior upload performance, and the best overall user experience. While Airtel showed steady improvement and strong long-term growth, Jio recorded the highest download speeds but lagged in upload speed and latency. In the FTTH segment, Airtel led in download speeds, and nPerf advised all three operators to focus on specific areas such as latency and upload performance to strengthen their market positions.
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has moved ahead of private telecom players Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel to claim the top position in the fixed-line internet category for the financial year 2026 (FY26), as reported by French independent network testing firm nPerf. In this segment, Airtel and Jio recorded scores of 74,975 nPoints and 73,957 nPoints, respectively.
nPoints represent the overall, real-world performance of internet services, with scores ranging from zero to over 50,000. The metric combines factors such as download and upload speeds, latency, and performance during web browsing and streaming into a single index.
BSNL registered a 21 percent year-on-year (YoY) increase in fixed-line download speeds, reaching 78.5 megabits per second (Mbps). Its upload speed stood at 75.26 Mbps, outperforming its competitors. Additionally, BSNL delivered the strongest results in latency, web browsing, and YouTube streaming among the three operators.
Airtel improved its ranking by one position compared to the previous period, maintaining a consistent upward trajectory over the past five years in the fixed-line segment. Its download speed rose 10 percent YoY to 62.4 Mbps, while upload speed reached 38.71 Mbps.
Jio achieved the highest download speed at 79.6 Mbps, reflecting a 33 percent YoY increase. However, its upload speed of 33.46 Mbps lagged behind its rivals, and it recorded the highest latency at 62.61 milliseconds (ms). According to nPerf, Jio continues to show a positive five-year trend, supported by strong growth in its fibre network.
Within the fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) category, Airtel led with a download speed of 241.72 Mbps, followed by Jio at 225.18 Mbps and BSNL at 198.54 Mbps.
nPerf suggested that BSNL should maintain its progress in FTTH speed performance and further reduce latency on non-fibre connections to strengthen its leadership. It also noted that Airtel needs to focus on improving upload speeds to better compete with BSNL, while Jio should work toward a more balanced performance by enhancing upload speeds and reducing latency alongside its strong FTTH download speeds.
