India’s 5G Revolution: Rapid Adoption and Massive Growth Potential
India has been embracing the 5G revolution at a rapid pace, despite poor internet connectivity in several areas, particularly remote regions. The country has seen a surge in millions of users switching to super-high-speed internet services and exploring innovative use cases provided by 5G technology.
According to a global survey by Ericsson Consumer Lab, it is projected that up to 31 million more Indians will switch to 5G-enabled smartphones by 2023, highlighting the immense potential of this cutting-edge technology in the country.
During the seventh edition of the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2023 in New Delhi, industry experts expressed optimism about the growth prospects of 5G use cases in India.
Akshay Aggarwal, Senior Director of Engineering, Wireless Systems Research and Development, highlighted the significant rise in 5G subscribers. He stated that India currently has approximately 100 million 5G subscribers, and this number is expected to reach around 700 million by 2028, indicating substantial growth.
Aggarwal also shed light on the diverse range of use cases for 5G technology, including its impact on agriculture, industry 4.0, and the medical field, among others.
Leading telecom providers such as Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio, which launched 5G services in India last year, are expected to play a crucial role in the country’s rapid adoption of 5G. These two pioneers account for approximately 100 million 5G handset users, marking a significant milestone in India’s journey towards becoming a 5G powerhouse.
Shantanu Mukherjee, Head of Growth Segments at Reliance Jio, emphasized the transformative potential of 5G and discussed the collaboration with Nvidia. He mentioned that Jio, in partnership with Nvidia, is developing an AI platform that enables business owners to create advertisements using text and word prompts in seconds, leveraging the bandwidth and cloud technology provided by 5G. Mukherjee also highlighted the impact of 5G on connected healthcare, where the combination of cloud, 5G, and high upload speeds can revolutionize healthcare in remote areas.
What’s interesting is that not only are the number of 5G users increasing in India, but they are also actively engaging with the technology. Compared to users in other early adopter 5G markets like the US, UK, South Korea, and China, 5G users in India spend an average of two hours more per week using apps or services like mobile gaming, augmented reality, and streaming HD video.
David O’Byme, Senior Business Development Manager at Druvid Software, highlighted how 5G is driving adoption across different industries. He noted that in industries where speed and efficiency are crucial, high-speed data transfer plays a pivotal role. For instance, logistics, warehouses, and airports rely on fast data transfer for swift and efficient operations. O’Byme emphasized that the combination of 5G with AI and data from private networks is revolutionizing logistics.
Mukherjee also emphasized the significance of Industry 4.0, enabled by 5G, which provides low latency and high capacity for automated robotics and remote work. He added that this transformative technology isn’t limited to large enterprises; it offers tangible benefits to small businesses and shop owners as well.
The rapid adoption and growth potential of 5G in India are evident, with millions of users embracing the super-high-speed internet services and exploring various use cases. With telecom giants driving this revolution and collaborations with tech giants like Nvidia, India is well on its way to becoming a 5G powerhouse, revolutionizing multiple sectors and paving the way for an advanced digital future.
