Fixed line broadband users, data usage surge due to lockdown: Report

MUMBAI: The lockdown to control coronavirus infection has come as a “godsend” to the fixed line broadband sector, which was struggling with stagnancy in subscribers for four years, a report said on Monday.

The ongoing lockdown, wherein many people are forced to work from home, has resulted in a surge in subscribers and also data usage, the research wing of domestic rating agency Crisil said in a note.

Fixed broadband refers to taking internet connectivity till homes or businesses using an optical fibre or fixed line.

The Crisil note said due to the aggressive play by the telcos, which started giving the fast 4G connectivity at low rates, the number of subscribers has stagnated at 19 million since 2016.