Top 10 best Internet Service Providers in India in 2023

The Internet has become an integral part of our lives. For most of us, it is no longer a luxury but a necessity for everyday life.

Internet in India started in 1986 and was initially available only to the educational and research community. 

The internet was available to the General public only on August 15, 1995, and as of now, there are 718.74 million active users, which accounts for 54.29 percent of the population.

During the covid-19 pandemic, internet communication has become more mission-critical to daily lives. The pandemic shifted the schools and work to home, with no consideration of how the increased connections would impact internet access.

Forbes reported in March that internet usage has jumped over 50 percent with streaming video rising to just 12 percent. 

But the internet is never one size that fits all. Every household has different speed requirements and considerations to include in their choice.

There are 1753 MSOs in India as of 31 December 2021. So, it has become extremely important to choose the right internet service provider.

What are the crucial criteria that one must check to purchase an internet service?

The first criterion is download and upload speed. No one wants to spend their time whole day waiting in front of the computer for a download to become complete. 

If one likes to stream videos, he should be concerned about the upload and download speed while selecting an internet service provider. 

No one must overdo it by purchasing an internet that is extremely fast and is not required by the individual.

The second criterion is the cost and contract. Many different internet service providers charge people different ranges of prices for their services depending on the types of services individuals want and where the individual is located.

One must factor in his needs and how much he is willing to pay for internet services. One must also rethink the choices based on the cost of the contract. A typical cable, fibre, or DSL internet provider draws up a contract for 1 year in length. However, satellite internet providers tend to be more than one year.

The third criterion is the type of internet connection that the user wants. There are many different options, each provided with its pros and cons.

Digital subscriber line (DSL): This is the cheapest internet option available to users, and there is a wide range of DSL service providers across the country. However, the speed of the internet connection will depend on the distance between the source and the internet connection.

Cable: This option is faster than DSL, but the speed will depend on how many people are present in the area who are using the same internet connection. If one plans to stream a movie at night while others are using the internet, he or she will experience a slow internet connection.

Satellite: It is a widespread option that is easily available, but the internet speed is comparatively slower.

Fibre optic: Generally, fibre optic is the perfect solution for all the internet needs of a user as it provides the fastest and most reliable type of internet connection. However, the option is not available in all kinds of markets.

The fourth criterion is reliability: No one opts for unreliable internet service. The best way to check the reliability of an internet service provider is to examine the reviews by the customers in the nearby area. Reliability is especially important in such situations when one is working remotely.

The reliability does not depend solely on the internet service provider. The users have to re-consider the type of internet conditions they are opting for, and even the outside weather conditions contribute to the criterion.

The fifth criterion is security. Security is an integral feature that one must consider when opting for an internet service provider. Investing in security is key to safeguarding the user’s private data. The internet service must provide the option of encrypting the wireless connection.

The last and the most crucial feature is customer support. No matter how reliable an internet connection is, one is bound to experience some technical difficulties with his Wifi at some point. 

It is common for an individual to have queries on the internet service. However, good internet customer service matters. 

One can get an idea of an Intenet service provider after talking with customer support. In addition, they can seek customer reviews available only or consult their friends to know if the internet service provider has a stellar reputation in solving the customer’s queries.

With a little research, one can opt for an internet service provider that would meet all of their needs. But, if you are still unsure, we are here to help you with the list of the Top 10 Internet Service providers in India in 2023.

Top 10 Best Internet Service Providers in India in 2023:

1. Reliance Jio Infocomm limited:

Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited operating as Jio, is an Indian telecommunications company and a subsidiary of jio Platforms. The internet service provider has its headquarters in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.

The internet service provider operates a national LTE network with coverage along 22 telecom circles. Currently, jio is offering a band of 5G, 4G, and 4G+ services and working on developing 6G services.

The internet service became public on 5 September 2016. It is the largest mobile network operator in India and the third largest mobile network provider in the world, accounting for 426.2 million subscribers.

Advantages: 

• It is the first telecommunications service provider that has launched LTE only network and enables voLTE calls. The latter allows the users to experience higher audio quality over the call as compared to the normal audio call.
• Impressive WiFi data plans. The company provides the users with high data plans at a reasonable price and allows the users to connect through the wifi hotspots provided by the company.

The major disadvantage is that the network is good on mobile phones. However, it is comparatively slower when used at home. The users have complained about the customer service followed by the expensive costs of data.

2. Bharti Airtel Limited:

Bharti Airtel Limited, known as Airtel, is an Indian multinational telecommunications service community. The main office is headquartered in Delhi. The internet service provider and telecommunications company operates in 18 countries across South Asia and Africa, as well as the Chanel islands.

The telecommunications company has operated for 27 years in the country under the authorship of Sunil Bharti Mittal. The company has current revenue of 117081 crore INR in India. 

The data plans start from 499 INR, offering a speed of up to 40 Mbps, followed by professional plans costing 1499 INR. The professional plan even provides a free subscription to Disney Plus Hotstar and Amazon prime membership.

Advantages:

• Airtel is one of the best internet service providers in India because of its incredible quality and services.
• The company provides its service engineer for any kind of troubleshooting

Disadvantages:

• Slow operating speed.
• The internet service is comparatively more expensive than the other services available in the country.
• Good accessibility speed in urban areas. But, the connection seems to be lost in the rural areas.
• The speed of the internet service varies when operated on different devices.

3. Vodafone Idea limited:

Vi or Vodafone Idea Limited is an Indian telecom operator and an internet service provider. The headquarters are based in Mumbai and Gandhinagar. The pan-India integrated network provides a range of services, including voLTE, VoWiFi, 2G, 3G, 4G, and 4G+ services.

The company was founded in 2018 and has Akshay Moondra as the CEO of the company. The internet service providing company earns total revenue of 28,245 crore INR according to the recent data. 

On 31 August 2018, Vodafone India joined hands with Idea Cellular to form a new entity named Vi limited. The telecommunications service provider has a maximum upload speed of 28 Mbps speed as of May 2021.

Vi provides wifi hotspot services in major cities, including Pune, Mumbai, and Bangalore, with 200 locations. The hotspot is accessible to all Vi brand customers.

Advantages:

• It is comparatively cheaper than other brands in a similar market.
• The internet service provides offers exciting offers such as unlimited data during nighttime to catch up on favourite movies or series.
• It provides satisfactory speeds.
• It provides free memberships to certain OTT platforms, including Amazon prime, zee5 premium movies, and many others.

Disadvantage:

• The network is not reliable.
• The Telecomm service provider offers poor 4G coverage in some places. It can be attributed to the lack of phone towers in the area.

4. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL)

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited is a government-owned telecommunications company and an internet service provider. The company has its headquarters in New Delhi, India, and is currently under the ownership of the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications, Government of India.

The company was founded on 1 October 2000 by the government of India. The company provides mobile voice and internet services nationwide through its telecommunications network across India. 

In addition, it is the largest government-owned wireless telecommunications service provider in India. 

According to the data accumulated from valid sources, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited has a net revenue of 18595 crores for the FY 2020 to 21.

BSNL mobile is the major provider of GSM mobile networks that operates under the name of CellOne and BSNL throughout the country. The telecommunications company has over 121.82 million customers across India, and it offers postpaid and prepaid services.

The brand even offers IPTV, allowing the customers to watch television through the internet and voice and video over internet protocol.

BSNL has introduced the WiMAX service, which is a revolutionary technology that supports 4G with high-speed internet. However, the service comes with disadvantages too.

Many users have complained about its unreliable connection and the poor internet connectivity during the day hours.

One of the crucial drawbacks of their internet service is the connectivity is drastically influenced by poor weather conditions. During rainy and cloudy days, reception is poor, and the 1Mbps speed operates on 100 Kbps speed.

The multiple layers associated with the WiMAX service can add to the security threats to the user’s data.

5. MNTL Limited:

MNTL Limited stands for Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of BSNL, which in turn is run under the ownership of the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications, Government of India.

The company has its headquarters in New Delhi and operates in the metropolitan cities of Mumbai and New Delhi, followed by the island nation of Mauritius in Africa.

BSNL currently holds 100 percent of the stock of MNTL services. The company has 3.28 million subscribers as of June 2021.

The company has a net revenue of 1798.41 crore INR in the fiscal year 2021. The company deals with fine-lined telephones and WLL services. In addition, it provides mobile services on GSM and CDMA platforms. 

MNTL is the largest internet service provider in Mumbai and Delhi, as observed in the trends of market share. The company provides Triband internet services through Dialup and DSL.

In 2013, MNTL announced that the internet service provider would upgrade the speed of all its existing unlimited broadband plans in Mumbai to a minimum of 1 Mbit/s at no extra cost.

The main disadvantage is that the internet service provider is only accessible in metropolitan cities, including New Delhi and Mumbai.

6. Excitel Broadband:

Excitel is one of the most popular high-speed internet service providers in India, offering special broadband plans tailored especially for streamers, downloaders, and gamers. The plans begin with a minimum speed of 399 INR per month and range up to 899 INR per month.

The duration of services varies, ranging from 1 month to 12 months, respectively. The most convenient option to choose if one is opting for a broadband connection is the excitel’s Entertainment Offer which is bundled with 300 Mbps plans for 3 months and comes with a subscription to several OTT platforms.

However, the most crucial drawback of the Excitel broadband service is the customer service. Most of the users have faced the worst customer service experience. Even though the company provides unlimited internet at low rates, the slow customer service outweighs the pros.

7. Hathway Cables and datacom limited:

Hathway Cables and datacom Limited is an Indian cable television service provider that is headquartered in Mumbai.

It is the first company to provide services via the CATV network in India and the first cable operator to launch a digital platform in 2006.

It is one of the earliest cable internet service providers in India, including the cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Indore, Bhopal, Lucknow, and Kolkata. Currently, the company has a base of 11 million customers, and around 1.77 million customers use wireless broadband services.

The advantages of the broadband service include:

• Cheap plans with various options.
• Good speed provides a speed of 40 to 80 Mbps to its users.

Disadvantages:

• Infeasibilibility of transferring network connection
• Connectivity problem upon usage.
• Slow customer care services.
• Unjust reasons by the customer care service.
• The slow operation takes up to 4 to 5 days for new installation.

8. Tata communications limited:

Tata communications internet broadband occupies the internet services of around 150 countries connecting the global IP backbone. The internet service provider offers fast, flexible, and dependable connectivity with the cost advantage of the internet. The internet service is characterized by consistent network performance and deterministic routing that leads to a smooth and seamless experience among its users. 

Broadband reduces business disruption by higher availability and shorter fault restoration time.

It provides comprehensive public coverage to all world’s major clouds that allows seamless muti-cloud connectivity and allowing far-end connectivity among the users.

Advantages: 

• Highly secured network
• Superfast speeds
• Unlimited data
• 99.9 percent uptime.

Disadvantages:

• Disruption of services during adverse weather conditions.
• Expensive pricing compared to Artel.
• Unknowledgeable customer care services.

9. You Broadband:

You Broadband is a subsidiary of Vodafone Idea limited, and it was launched by British gas in 2001. It was formerly known as the Iqara Broadband.

The internet service provider has been included in a category A ISP and is India’s first accredited broadband service provider. The company has over 3000 km of optical fiber cable and 17000 km of the last-mile coaxial cable network in all the operational cities.

The network has collaborated with private companies like Motorola, Avaya, Commscope, CISCO, etc.

The internet service offers unlimited data, voice connectivity, and value-added subscriptions to the popular OTT platforms to the customers.

Hence, the Internet service provider is included in the 9th position.

It has gained a wide base of customers as it is a subsidiary of the Vi network. 

The major drawback of the internet service provider is that it is restricted to Surat, and the company offers internet connectivity throughout the country.

10. Gigatel Networks:

Gigatel Networks is an Indian organization that uses IPv6 technology to provide internet services to its customers. The company has its headquarters situated in South Delhi, India.

It offers customers internet through fibre optics technology and its GPON.

In addition, Gigatel Networks provides its customers to choose from various plans based on data consumption and required speed.

Gigatel Networks does not have sufficient speed and achieves high speed during the nighttime. The price is expensive to the customers

However, the network has been appreciated because of the impressive customer service and wide range of internet plans.

Wrap Up:

No internet service can be regarded as the best service. They are continuously facing a competitive market that is characterized by complex challenges but also full of opportunities. One of the challenges of ISPs is to attain a loyal customer base provided with the consequent reduction in prices.

Edited by Prakriti Arora