India’s mobile broadband subscriber base doubled in 2021, 10 million 5G devices active already

As the government prepares to begin auctions for 5G spectrum in the country, 10 million 5G devices are already active in India. According to the Nokia India Mobile Broadband Index (mBIT), which analyses mobile broadband traffic on a yearly basis, the country recorded the highest growth in mobile broadband subscribers in the last five years in 2021, and the total number of users has doubled in the last five years. 

India now has 765 million mobile broadband subscribers, as compared to 345 million five years ago, and 5G services will generate $9 billion in revenues by 2021, the report estimated. It noted that 90% of Indians prefer to consume content in local languages and digital advertising on short-form videos could account for as much as 20% of the country’s digital advertising market by 2030.

By 2030, 5G will contribute to 1% of global GDP or $1.3 trillion in revenue, the report said. The most important use cases will include the likes of healthcare, utilities, media applications, manufacturing and smart cities.

Further, the mBit report also noted that 4G data traffic has increased by 31% in 2021, with the average user using 17 GB of 4G mobile data per month. India added about 40 million subscribers in 2021, including individuals who upgraded to 4G. 4G also contributed nearly 99% of the total data traffic generated in India.

The increase in numbers is also directly related to the increase in shipment of 4G devices. India saw more than 160 million smartphones, and 30 million 5G devices, being added in 2021. Out of these, active 4G devices were more than 80% while 5g devices were over 10 million, the report said.

“Now, the upcoming 5G spectrum auction and the commercial launch of services later this year will help India bridge the digital divide and enable service providers to provide new and exciting use cases like Industry 4.0 and smart cities to fuel the digital economy,” said Sanjay Malik, SVP & Head of India Market, at Nokia.