- India has more than 400,000 5G base stations in 2023, an increase of 7.7 times from January 2023, making it one of the fastest countries to roll out 5G globally.
- The average data traffic per smartphone in India is expected to increase further from 31 GB per month in 2023 to around 75 GB per month by 2029.
- The 5G median download speed of 301.86 Mbps in India was 18 times faster than the 4G median download speed of 16.05 Mbps while the 5G median upload speed (16.05 Mbps) was 5 times faster than 4G’s upload speed of 3.59 Mbps during the same period.
- Vodafone Idea, the third-largest service provider in India, plans to launch its 5G services by mid-2024.
Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel’s large-scale and swift deployment of 5G across India propelled the nation to rank fourteenth globally in 5G median download speeds with 301.86 Mbps in fourth quarter of last year, according to Ookla Speedtest Intelligence.
The Gulf Cooperation Council countries of the UAE and Qatar led the fastest 5G markets globally during the period, with speeds of 654.59 Mbps and 516.79 Mbps, respectively. South Korea was the fastest Asia Pacific country, coming in third overall with a speed of 485.25 Mbps.
According to Ookla, India’s country-wide 5G Availability increased throughout in 2023. 5G Availability improved from 28.1 per cent in the first quarter to 52 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2023, representing a 23.9 percentage point increase within a year.
Reliance Jio’s 5G availability rate during fourth quarter of 2023 was 68.8 per cent, 38.5 percentage points higher than Airtel’s 30.4 per cent.
“India’s 5G network offers a superior experience in video streaming and mobile gaming compared to the existing 4G-LTE. Reliance Jio and Airtel’s 5G networks have improved video start times and reduced buffering compared to 4G LTE, clocking 5G video start times of 1.14 seconds and 1.29 seconds, respectively. In contrast, Reliance Jio’s 4G LTE video start time was 1.99 seconds and 1.73 seconds for Airtel. Mobile gamers also experienced improved median latency, with 77 ms and 92 ms for Reliance Jio and Airtel, respectively,” the report said.
5G subscribers skyrocket
By the end of December 2023, India had more than 400,000 5G base stations (BTSs) deployed nationwide, an increase of 7.7 times from January 2023, making it one of the fastest countries to roll out 5G globally.
Ericsson forecasted that the number of 5G subscribers in India reached 130 million at the end of December 2023, compared to just over 10 million recorded at the close of 2022.
The average data traffic per smartphone in India is expected to increase further from 31 GB per month in 2023 to around 75 GB per month by 2029.
While the current 4G network in India may serve the daily connectivity needs of most mobile users, 5G technology offers a considerable performance uplift that can improve the user experience.
Fuelled by affordable 5G smartphones
When comparing the 5G and 4G performance in India for fourth quarter of 2023, the 5G median download speed of 301.86 Mbps was 18 times faster than the 4G median download speed of 16.05 Mbps.
Similarly, the 5G median upload speed (16.05 Mbps) was 5 times faster than 4G’s upload speed of 3.59 Mbps during the same period.
One of the main reasons for the increase in 5G Availability in India is the significant growth in 5G-capable smartphones.
According to Counterpoint Research, India’s 5G smartphone shipment share crossed 52 per cent in 2023, growing 66 per cent year-on-year.
The introduction of more affordable 5G-capable devices in the market has helped boost 5G adoption in the country. Canalys reported that in fourth quarter of 2023, devices in the $100 to $199 segment witnessed a growth of 168 per cent in the country.
More investment needed
While India rejoices in its rapid 5G deployment success, the report said that it is imperative that it continues to invest in new innovative services that are accessible to consumers to fulfill the promises and potential of 5G.
“Both Jio and Airtel have introduced 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) services, known as Jio AirFiber and Xstream AirFiber, respectively. These services are aimed at complementing their current 5G offerings as they explore new 5G use cases to monetize their investments. The operators are also looking to broaden their 5G service offerings to serve key enterprise verticals that demand highly reliable and low-latency communication,” the report said.
Vodafone Idea, the third-largest service provider in India, plans to launch its 5G services by mid-2024.
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