In Short:
India now ranks third in the world for 5G users and is on its way to becoming a telecom superpower by 2030. Companies like Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel have completed nationwide 5G rollouts, with Vodafone Idea set to follow. GSMA reports that 49% of Indians will use 5G by decade’s end, boosting industries and smartphone adoption significantly.
India’s Rising 5G User Base
India has emerged as the third-largest user base of 5G technology globally, positioning itself toward becoming a leading telecom superpower by the close of this decade. This assertion was made by Julian Gorman, the Head of Asia Pacific at the GSM Association (GSMA), who emphasized the government’s commitment to driving digital transformation.
Telecom Leaders and 5G Expansion
Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, the top telecom companies in India, completed their nationwide 5G network deployments this year, initiating commercial 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) services for customers. Furthermore, Vodafone Idea (Vi), the third-ranked telecom operator, plans to launch its commercial 5G services shortly.
According to the latest data from the government, telecom operators have collectively installed approximately 448,000 base stations, out of which 303,000 are fiberized.
Growth Projections for 5G Adoption
As indicated by industry analyses, India’s adoption of 5G is accelerating rapidly, with nearly half of the population (49%) projected to use the technology by the end of this decade. The GSMA forecasts that India could lead the world in this second wave of 5G deployment, yielding significant economic benefits for various sectors, including manufacturing and fintech, as well as societal advancement.
Commercial Deployment and Innovation Opportunities
GSMA further highlights that India ranks among the seven nations in the Asia Pacific region spearheading the commercial rollout of the 5G standalone (SA) network. This development presents the country’s developer community with substantial opportunities to innovate and create new 5G mobile applications.
Smartphone Market Leader
With over 1.2 billion smartphone connections, India stands as one of the top three smartphone markets in the Asia Pacific. The country’s smartphone adoption rate is expected to soar to 95% by 2030.
Innovations in 5G Technology
Notably, Jio has deployed over a million 5G cell sites for its SA network, utilizing network slicing technology to provide dedicated services for gaming, secure applications, and FWA customers.
Future of IoT in India
The GSMA has also identified India as a future leader in the licensed cellular Internet of Things (IoT) market within the Asia Pacific region. This market is forecasted to double in size between 2023 and 2030, with an impressive compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9%.
