5G connections across the globe are projected to near 3.5 billion and India will account for 350 million subscriptions by 2026, according to a report by telecom company Ericsson.
The first 5G connection in India is expected in 2021 if spectrum auctions are held early next year, said Ericsson Head of Network Solutions (Southeast Asia, Oceania and India) Nitin Bansal.
According to the report, India currently shows highest average traffic per smartphone user per month at 15.7 gb per month. “Low prices for mobile broadband services, affordable smartphones, and increased time spent by people online contribute to monthly usage growth in India. Accordingly, total traffic is projected to quadruple in India, reaching 35EB (exabyte) per month in 2026,” Ericsson Mobility Report Editor and Head of Strategic Marketing Insights States Patrik Cerwall said.
The report further specified LTE (4G) retains position as the dominant technology in India in 2020, accounting for 63 per cent of mobile subscriptions and 3G services are expected to be terminated by 2026. It further mentioned that mobile broadband technologies were reason for for 67 per cent of mobile subscriptions in 2020, and this figure is predicted to be soar up to 91 per cent by 2026. According to an annual report, the number of smartphone subscriptions has increased to 760 million in 2020 in the country and is expected to reach close to 1.2 billion by 2026.
Globally, more than 1 billion people, 15 per cent of the world’s population, are expected to live in an area that has a provision of 5G facility, according to the Ericsson Mobility Report 2020′ released on Monday. “In 2026, 60 per cent of the world’s population will have access to 5G coverage, with 5G subscriptions forecast to reach 3.5 billion. In India, 5G subscriptions will cross 350 million, accounting for 27 per cent of all mobile subscriptions in 2026,” the report said
