India to have 500 million 5G users by '27: Ericsson

There are 660 million 5G subscribers across the world currently, and by the end of 2021 more than two billion people (25% of the world’s population) will be covered by 5G networks, according to the Ericsson Mobility Report 2021.

The Ericsson Mobility Report estimates that India will have 500 million 5G subscribers by 2027, accounting for 39% of the total mobile subscriber base. By then global 5G subscriber base is expected to touch 4.4 billion, accounting for half of the world’s population. High population countries such as India will achieve a high coverage.

India will continue to remain a leader in data consumption. The country is a latecomer to 5G. Even in 2027, 4G is expected to remain the dominant technology. However 4G subscriptions are forecast to drop from 790 million in 2021 to 710 million in 2027, an average decline of 2%. 4G base will fall from 68% in 2021 to 55% in 2027 as more and more subscribers migrate to 5G.

“Mobile communication has had an incredible impact on society and business over the last 10 years. When we look ahead to 2027, mobile networks will be more integral than ever to how we interact, live and work,” says Fredrik Jejdling, executive vice president and head of networks, Ericsson,

Total mobile data traffic in India has grown from 9.4EB [Exabyte] per month in 2020 to 12EB per month in 2021 and is projected to increase by more than four times to reach 49EB per month in 2027. This is driven by high growth in the number of smartphone users, including growth in rural areas, and an increase in average usage.

“5G will serve as a socio-economic multiplier, and we are preparing communication service providers for seamless introduction of 5G in the country based on our global deployment experience, our innovative and competitive 5G portfolio as well as the 5G trials we are doing with Indian operators to showcase the possibilities,” says Nitin Bansal, head, Ericsson India, and head, network solutions, South East Asia, Oceania and India, Ericsson.