Bharti Airtel Adds 9,803 Route Km Of Optical Fibre In Three Months

Bharti Airtel expanded its optical fiber network in India by 9,803 route km in the three months ended September 30, 2026, according to its quarterly report. The network stood at 552,373 route km at the end of September, up from 542,570 route km at the end of June. That represents an increase of about 1.8% in a single quarter.

A year earlier, Airtel’s optical fiber network in India spanned 507,655 route km. The latest figures show annual expansion of 44,718 route km, or about 8.8%. The September quarter accounted for just over a fifth of that increase.

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Airtel’s Fiber Network Grew Every Quarter Over the Past Year

Airtel’s fiber footprint rose from 507,655 route km in September 2025 to 519,113 route km in December and 532,388 route km in March 2026.

It then reached 542,570 route km in June before crossing 5.5 lakh route km in September.

Airtel’s largest quarterly increase in the five-quarter table came in the March 2026 quarter, when the network grew by 13,275 route km.

It expanded by another 10,182 route km in the June quarter and 9,803 route km in September. The pace eased in each of the last two quarters, with the network still growing by nearly 10,000 route km in the latest period.

A route kilometer measures the distance the network covers along its physical route. A 10 km route counts as 10 route km even if the cable carries multiple fiber strands.

Airtel reports this figure for its overall India optical fiber network and tracks its home broadband reach separately.

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Airtel Homes Expands to 1,669 Cities

Airtel’s Homes business covered 1,669 cities at the end of September, up from 1,653 in June and 1,551 a year earlier.

The segment added 6.76 lakh net customers during the quarter, bringing its base to about 1.54 crore.

Airtel said it accelerated partnerships with local cable operators during the period. The company offers home broadband through fiber-to-the-home and fixed wireless access.

For customers checking whether Airtel broadband is available where they live, service availability depends on their address.

The quarterly report gives the number of cities covered by Airtel Homes and the total length of its optical fiber network in India. It does not specify where the latest fiber additions were made.

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Airtel also expanded its mobile network during the quarter. Its India tower count rose by 497 to 347,988, while mobile broadband base stations increased by 11,684 to 1,214,118.

The operator reported 97.5% population coverage at the end of September, up from 97.4% in June and 96.5% a year earlier.

Over the same year, Airtel’s India mobile network added 5,649 towers and 59,308 mobile broadband base stations.

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