700 million 5G subscriptions in India by 2028

There has been a phenomenal increase in 5G mobile subscriptions in India, and predictions call for a mind-boggling 700 million subscribers by the end of 2028. With this increase in subscribers representing a key milestone and making up almost 57% of all mobile subscriptions in the nation. These encouraging data points from the Ericsson Mobility Report shed light on the disruptive potential of 5G technology in the Indian telecoms industry.

Rapid Increase in Data Consumption: As 5G networks spread, it is anticipated that typical smartphone data traffic will increase significantly. Data use is anticipated to increase to around 62GB per month by 2028 from 26GB per month in 2022. This startling rise in data consumption highlights how Indian consumers’ requirements are changing and how dependent they are on cellphones in many areas of their life.

The paper also emphasises how the market for mobile subscriptions in India is expected to change. Subscriptions for smartphones are anticipated to increase significantly and make up a larger portion of all mobile subscriptions. This percentage, which was 76 percent in the previous year, is anticipated to increase to 93 percent by 2028. This change is an example of how smartphones are becoming more and more popular and play a crucial part in Indian mobile users’ lives.

The report forecasts a decline in 4G subscriptions as 5G subscriptions soar. The number of 4G subscriptions is anticipated to drop to 500 million by 2028 from 820 million in 2022. This reduction may be ascribed to 5G technology’s broad adoption, as customers want to take advantage of its superior capabilities and quicker connection.
In India, the expansion of mobile networks is a key factor in promoting social and economic inclusion. With the establishment of a strong digital infrastructure, the nation is well-positioned to close the digital gap, provide employment opportunities, encourage entrepreneurship, and strengthen the economy as a whole. Nitin Bansal, the head of Ericsson India and network solutions for Southeast Asia, Oceania, and India, voiced optimism for the country’s digital future and emphasised the digital ecosystem’s capacity for transformation.

The number of smartphone subscriptions in India are anticipated to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5% in the next years. By 2028, the number of smartphone subscriptions is predicted to reach a stunning milestone of over 1.14 billion, a significant rise from the 840 million subscriptions that were reported at the end of the previous year. The paper emphasises the Indian market’s enormous potential and its crucial contribution to the development of the global telecoms environment.

The entire mobile data traffic in India is anticipated to soar due to the adoption of 5G and the rise in smartphone use. According to projections, total monthly mobile data traffic would increase from 18 exabytes (EB) in 2022 to a mind-boggling 58 EB in 2028. This illustrates the astounding compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22% and highlights the exponential expansion in data consumption.

The research emphasises the worldwide trend of increasing acceptance, showing that the expansion of 5G subscribers goes beyond India. Forecasts show that 5G subscribers are likely to reach 1.5 billion globally by the end of 2023. This extensive acceptance has cleared the path for favourable revenue development for communication service providers in major 5G regions.