Bharti Airtel’s Q3 FY26 results highlight more than financial growth. A closer look at the company’s operational metrics suggests that recent network investments are beginning to reflect in how users experience the service across mobile and broadband.
The company reported Rs 39,226 crore in India revenue, a 13.2% year-on-year increase, driven by mobile premiumisation, strong traction in the Homes segment, and stable performance from Airtel Business. India EBITDA rose to Rs 23,676 crore, up 19.3% YoY, with margins improving to 60.4%. Consolidated net income, before exceptional items, stood at Rs 6,920 crore.
While these figures underline financial strength, the underlying drivers point to changing usage behaviour among customers.
Airtel’s mobile ARPU increased to Rs 259, compared to Rs 245 in the same quarter last year. In India’s price-sensitive telecom market, such growth typically indicates that users are opting for higher-value plans, often influenced by perceived network reliability and service quality.
This is supported by a 20.8 million year-on-year increase in smartphone data customers, with 79% of Airtel’s mobile base now using smartphones for data consumption. Smartphone users represent the segment with the highest data demand, relying on networks for video streaming, online meetings, social media, and cloud applications. Growth in this segment often reflects the network’s ability to handle higher and more consistent data loads.
Also Read: Tariff Hike 2026: Airtel Prepaid International Roaming Packs Get Costlier
The Homes segment provides further evidence. Airtel’s home broadband business recorded a 32.6% YoY revenue growth, with 1.2 million net additions during the quarter the highest in the company’s history. Broadband growth in competitive urban and semi-urban markets is often influenced by word-of-mouth recommendations, typically linked to service stability and performance.
Supporting this demand is continued network expansion. During Q3, Airtel added 1,147 towers and 16,338 mobile broadband base stations, strengthening its 4G and 5G footprint and expanding fibre capacity. These additions improve both coverage and network capacity, helping reduce congestion and enhance performance during peak usage hours.
From a consumer standpoint, such infrastructure upgrades often translate into fewer call drops, smoother video streaming, and more stable home broadband connections. While users may not directly observe new towers or fibre routes, they notice improvements in everyday connectivity.
The improvement in EBITDA margins to 60.4% also indicates operational efficiency and a better customer mix, typically associated with stable network performance and reduced service issues.
Taken together, Airtel’s Q3 FY26 metrics suggest that telecom competition is gradually shifting beyond tariff comparisons toward overall network experience. Rising ARPU, smartphone data growth, and record broadband additions point toward increasing user confidence in service reliability.
Most consumers may not follow quarterly reports, but they experience network performance daily. Airtel’s Q3 performance indicates that ongoing investments in infrastructure and capacity are beginning to reflect in a more consistent and dependable user experience.
In telecom, reliability is often measured not by visible upgrades but by the absence of disruption. Airtel’s latest quarterly numbers suggest progress in that direction.
