New Delhi, Nov. 5 -- Bharti Airtel Ltd has delivered an impressive sequential gain of 2.4% in average revenue per user (Arpu) for the September quarter (Q2FY26), rising to Rs.256. In comparison, Reliance Jio reported a modest 1.2% growth to Rs.211.4.

What explains Airtel's faster Arpu growth? Two key factors stand out. First, its 2G user base-derived by subtracting 4G and 5G subscribers from total mobile users-fell 4.5% quarter-on-quarter to 78.37 million. As more 2G customers migrate to higher-priced 4G/5G plans that offer greater data usage, overall Arpu rises.

Second, Airtel continues to benefit from a higher proportion of post-paid users than Jio. Its post-paid base grew 3.6% sequentially to 27.52 million in Q2. Post-paid customers ...