India’s 5G user base to reach 70 crore by end of 2028: Ericsson

The number of subscribers for the fifth-generation or 5G telecom service in India, which was launched in October last year, is estimated to reach 70 crore or 57 per cent of the total mobile subscriptions in the country, by the end of 2028, making it the fastest growing 5G region globally, an industry report showed.

According to the June 2023 edition of Ericsson Mobility Report released on Wednesday, the average data traffic per smartphone in India is projected to grow from 26 GB per month in 2022 to around 62 GB per month in 2028, registering a compound annual growth rate of 16 per cent.

Total mobile data traffic in the country is estimated to grow from 18 exabytes (EB) per month in 2022 to 58 EB per month in 2028, growing at a CAGR of 22 per cent.

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“Mobile networks continue to play a pivotal role in driving social and economic inclusion in the country,” said Nitin Bansal, head of Ericsson India.

“The strong digital infrastructure being established in India will help the country bridge the digital divide, create jobs, drive entrepreneurship and boost the economy,” Bansal added.

The 5G telecom service was rolled out in India on 1st October 2022. By the end of 2022, the number of 5G subscribers in the country is estimated to have reached 1 crore.

The fourth-generation or 4G continues to be the dominant subscription type in the country. However, the number of 4G subscribers is likely to decline gradually with the jump in 5G services. The 4G subscriptions are forecast to decline from 820 million in 2022 to 500 million by 2028.

The total mobile subscriptions in the country are estimated to grow to 1.2 billion in 2028.

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The number of smartphone subscriptions is projected to grow at a CAGR of 5 per cent, reaching over 1.14 billion by 2028 in India from 840 million at the end of 2022. Smartphone subscriptions in India as a percentage of total mobile subscriptions are expected to grow from 76 per cent in 2022 to 93 per cent in 2028.

The report also reveals that the uptake of 5G subscriptions in North America has been stronger than expected in previous forecasts. At the end of 2022, the region had the highest 5G global subscription penetration at 41 per cent.

Globally, 5G subscriptions are forecast to reach 1.5 billion by the end of 2023. Global mobile network data traffic continues to grow with the monthly global average usage per smartphone expected to exceed 20 GB by the end of 2023.

“The global adoption of 5G technology has surpassed one billion subscriptions, bringing positive revenue growth for communications service providers in leading 5G markets,” said Fredrik Jejdling, executive vice president and head of networks at Ericsson.

“Over the past two years, the introduction of 5G services in the top twenty markets has resulted in a seven percent revenue boost. This trend shows the growing value of 5G, benefiting users and service providers alike,” Jejdling added.