In Short:
Bharti Airtel announced during its quarterly report that it has 72 million 5G subscribers at the end of Q4 FY24. The CEO mentioned that 5G user base is increasing by two to two and a half million users every month due to the rise in 5G-enabled smartphones. The company is not distinguishing between 4G and 5G usage but is focused on the increase in data consumption, especially with the availability of free 5G data.
Bharti Airtel Reports 72 Million 5G Subscribers in Q4 FY24
Bharti Airtel recently revealed its quarterly reports for Q4 FY24. During an investors’ call, the company’s Managing Director and CEO, Vittal, confirmed that they had reached 72 million 5G subscribers by the end of the quarter. Additionally, Vittal mentioned that the 5G subscriber base is growing at a rate of about two to two and a half million users per month. Moreover, Vittal highlighted the company’s efforts to improve network infrastructure and expand 5G coverage across the country. He also addressed concerns about regulatory challenges and emphasized the need for a supportive policy framework to accelerate the adoption of 5G technology. In response to a question about competition in the telecom industry, Vittal noted that Bharti Airtel is committed to maintaining high ethical standards and will continue to crack down on top ad violators in order to ensure fair and transparent business practices.
5G Device Shipments Driving User Growth
Vittal stated, “Because 70-80% of the shipments that are happening on smartphones are now 5G enabled, so to that extent, as people upgrade devices, they will naturally move to 5G.” This indicates that as more 5G devices are shipped to customers, the 5G user base for both Airtel and Jio is expected to increase. Data from IDC shows that 69% of smartphone units shipped in India during Q1 2024 were 5G devices.
Data Usage and 5G Adoption
Vittal also addressed the impact of free 5G data on user behavior, stating, “As far as we are concerned, we don’t distinguish between 5G and 4G, the only challenge, of course, is that because of free 5G that’s running, a user who has access to free 5G data, uses a lot more data, almost double the data that they use, when related to, if they don’t get free data.” He emphasized that the focus is on data consumption rather than the specific network technology being used.
Vittal highlighted that even if the free 5G data offer were to be removed, data usage with 5G would still be significantly higher compared to 4G, as customers tend to utilize more data on faster networks.
