India will have 130 million 5G users by the end of this year, just over a year after consumer 5G services are launched in the country. The number of 5G users in India has tripled from last year — and is expected to grow to 860 million subscribers by 2029, according to the Ericsson Mobility Report 2023 released on Thursday.
Last year, Ericsson based India’s 5G subscriber base at 31 million users, a 4-fold increase in 2023 itself. Over the next six years, 5G subscribers will grow 6.6x, while 4G subscribers—estimated at 870 million at the end of this year—will drop to 390 million by the end of 2029. As a result, by 2029,68 % of all mobile subscribers in countries will be on 5G networks, Ericsson’s projection said.
Ericsson India head Nitin Bansal said the growth of 5G subscribers, as well as the increase in the number of smartphone users compared to overall mobile phone users, will drive “social and economic inclusion in India”.
