Growing consumer consumption of internet services, an expanding smartphone ecosystem, and access to one of the world's cheapest data rates have pushed the average wireless data usage per month from 12.1GB in FY21 to over 21.2GB (as of September 2024), according to the Economic Survey 2024-25 released Friday.
Also Read: Bharat Offers One of the Cheapest Mobile Data Rates Globally: DoT
Rising Data Consumption and Cheap Rates
"India's telecom sector is expanding with the smartphone boom, surging data consumption, and the advent of technologies like 5G. India stands as the second-largest telecommunications market, with over 1.18 billion telephone subscribers, an overall teledensity of 84 per cent, and 941 million broadband users as of October 31, 2024," the Survey document said.
"The country also leads in mobile data consumption per subscriber and offers the world's most affordable data rates. India's achievement of the fastest 5G rollout globally highlights its technological prowess in the telecom sector," the Survey document added.
The survey chart data showed that the average 4G data usage per data user per month reached 19.3GB in FY24, while the 5G data usage stood at about 15GB.
"There has been a paradigm shift in India's telecom technology space that underscores an ongoing effective transition from a technology importer to a technology developer and exporter," the Telecommunication section of the survey report said.
Also Read: India’s Digital Economy to Outpace Agriculture, Manufacturing by 2030: Govt Report
5G Rollout: Expansion
India's telecom operators, Bharti Airtel (Airtel) and Reliance Jio (Jio), deployed 5G services in early 2024. Vodafone Idea (Vi), India's third-largest telco, is expected to commence its 5G roll-out from March 2025 onwards in 17 key circles, according to earlier reports.
"The rollout of 5G services, along with the introduction of new policies aimed at enhancing telecommunications infrastructure and user experience, has played a crucial role in digital connectivity," the Survey said.
"By October 31, 2024, 5G services were launched in all states and union territories. Currently, 5G services are available in 779 out of 783 districts, and over 4.6 lakh 5G Base Transceiver Stations (BTSs) have been installed nationwide," according to the document.
In July 2022, the Union Cabinet approved a project to provide 4G mobile services to 24,680 uncovered villages in remote areas and upgrade 6,279 villages, which were then using 2G/3G networks. By December 2024, 7,815 sites covering 10,706 villages have been commissioned, the report said.
The Industry-wide BTS installed count increased from 28.8 lakh in 2023 to 29.6 in 2024, the Survey chart showed.
BharatNet project
To provide connectivity in difficult terrains, under the BharatNet project, as of December 2024, 6.92 lakh km of Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) has been laid, while 2.14 lakh gram panchayats (GPs) are service-ready (including 5,032 via satellite and 12.04 lakh FTTH connections have been installed, according to the Survey.
In 'Telecommunications, Computer, and Information Services', India commands 10.2 per cent of the global exports market (ranking 2nd largest exporter in the world), reflecting its strong position in IT outsourcing, software development, and digital services, the report said.
Also Read: India to Promote Cheap Data Rates, 5G Expansion to Attract Global Investments: Report
Space and Digital Services
The survey report noted that India currently operates 56 active space assets, including 19 communication satellites, nine navigation satellites, four scientific satellites, and 24 earth observation satellites.
"Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has enhanced its capabilities by adding a small satellite launch vehicle to its fleet. New Space India Limited (NSIL) successfully fulfilled its contract to launch 72 OneWeb satellites into low earth orbit. Recently it also launched the GSAT-20 satellite in collaboration with SpaceX," the survey report said.
