BSNL tops India’s fixed-line internet rankings, beating Jio and Airtel, nPerf

State-owned BSNL has outranked Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel as India’s best fixed-line internet operator in FY26, according to French network benchmarking firm nPerf — a result that would have seemed improbable just a few years ago.

nPerf’s Barometer of Fixed Internet Connections, which measures real-world performance based on tests conducted by actual subscribers, placed BSNL first on download speed, upload speed and latency. Airtel ranked last among the three operators. Jio claimed the top spot in the streaming experience category, making it the preferred network for video and YouTube consumption, but trailed BSNL on the core speed and responsiveness metrics that define everyday broadband quality.

The ranking reflects a recovery that has been years in the making. BSNL’s turnaround rests on three pillars: sustained government capitalisation, a large-scale 4G network rollout executed in partnership with Tata Consultancy Services using indigenously developed technology, and an expanding fibre-to-the-home footprint. The financial results are beginning to follow the network performance — BSNL posted 105% year-on-year growth in core operating profit for the first nine months of FY26, reaching ₹4,858 crore on revenue of ₹17,705 crore, up 13%.

The nPerf methodology is significant. Unlike benchmarks based on controlled testing or operator-reported data, the barometer draws exclusively on speed tests initiated by end-users — making it a direct measure of what subscribers actually experience, not what a network is theoretically capable of delivering.

For an operator long written off as uncompetitive, topping a real-world performance table ahead of Jio and Airtel carries weight that goes well beyond bragging rights. It signals that BSNL’s infrastructure investment is translating into tangible service quality — and that India’s private telcos may need to look over their shoulder more carefully than they have in recent years.

CT Bureau