The demand for 5G network has been overwhelming for operators even before the commercial launch of the next-generation mobile network technology. In India, 5G is currently served as a gimmick feature in smartphones with just one or two 5G bands. However, according to a recent Ericsson Mobility Report, 5G is going to take a substantial turn in India in the next five years. The report reveals that 26% of the mobile subscriptions in India would be 5G by the end of 2026.
33 Crore 5G Subscriptions in The Next 5 Years
In absolute terms, these 26% subscriptions would account for 33 crores 5G users in India in the next five years. A growth of 3% CAGR will also be observed in 4G subscriptions which would in absolute terms increase from 68 crore subscriptions in 2020 to 83 crore in 2026. These statistics are interesting because India has still not launched 5G commercially yet, but the demand already exists in an upward trend. The Department of Telecommunications has recently allotted a 5G trial spectrum to domestic operators like Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea. The trial 5G spectrum was allocated in the 700 MHz, 3.5 GHz and 26 GHz bands. A mid-band 5G trial by Bharti Airtel recently commenced in Gurgaon Cyber Hub. As is the popular culture with 5G trials, Bharti Airtel will use the 5G gear provided by Ericsson. Another trial by Reliance Jio also commenced last week in Mumbai, which made use of an indigenous 5G gear.
India Could Witness Growth of 7% CAGR in Smartphone Subscription
The pandemic drove lockdowns resulted in a boom in the internet segment. Internet was used not just for remote work but also for online learning, digital payments and online consultations. The report took into account this drastic increase and revealed that the average traffic per smartphone user in the country went up to 14.6 GB per month in 2020. In 2019, this number stood at 13 GB a month. Another study of similar fashion had revealed that at least 4 crore smartphone users in India would subscribe to 5G within the first year of its commercial launch in the country.
