In the Ericsson Mobility Report (June 2023), it was predicted that consumers in India will increase from 10 million at the end of 2022 to 700 million by the end of 2028. This means that 5G will experience one of the fastest ramp-ups in the world. With 1,310 million subscribers, China would be the largest market for 5G subscribers, making India the second largest single market worldwide.
As mobile networks rapidly transition to next-generation 5G, with relatively minor changes in tariffs, the growth of 5G will also occur at a time when the number of 4G subscribers in India will begin to decline. By 2028, there will be 500 million 4G subscriptions instead of 820 million in 2022.
According to the biannual Ericsson report, which tracks global trends in the telecom industry, data consumption by consumers in India will rise from 26GB (per user per month) at the end of 2022 to 2028 at a CAGR of 16%.
It is anticipated that the region's total number of mobile subscriptions will reach 1.2 billion by 2028. According to Ericsson's projections, smartphone subscriptions in India will rise from 76% of total mobile users in 2022 to 93% in 2028.
"The country's social and economic inclusion is still largely driven by mobile networks. Nitin Bansal, head of Ericsson India, stated, "The strong digital infrastructure being established in India will help the country bridge the digital divide."