Jio, Airtel drive India to top 15 countries with fastest 5G download speeds: Report

India has emerged as one of the top 15 markets globally in terms of reported 5G media download speeds, fueled by extensive deployments of fifth-generation (5G) mobile networks by major telecom operators such as Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, according to findings from network testing and analytics firm Ookla. Analyzing data from Q4 2023, internet testing and analysis firm Ookla reported that India ranked 14th globally in 5G median download speeds, averaging 301.86Mbps, with median upload speeds of 18.93Mbps.

By the end of December 2023, India had surpassed four hundred thousand 5G base stations deployed across the country, marking a remarkable 7.7-fold increase from January 2023. This made India one of the fastest nations globally to roll out 5G infrastructure. Another forecast by Ericsson is that the number of 5G subscribers in India surged to 130 million by the end of December 2023, a significant jump from slightly over 10 million recorded at the end of 2022.

Affandy Johan, an Industry Analyst at Ookla, highlighted the pivotal role of Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel in driving the 5G rollout across India, noting their significant efforts in swiftly deploying 5G coverage nationwide. By the end of December 2023, India witnessed the deployment of over four hundred thousand 5G base stations (BTSS) nationwide, marking a 7.7-fold increase from January 2023 and positioning India as one of the fastest countries globally in terms of 5G rollout.

Johan said that India’s aggressive deployment of the 5G network has resulted in tangible benefits, elevating the country’s position in the global rankings for the fastest 5G median download speeds. Despite fierce competition globally, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar led the fastest 5G markets worldwide during the period, followed by South Korea. In India, the 5G median download speed of 301.86Mbps in Q4 2023 significantly outpaced the 4G median download speed of 16.05Mbps, showcasing a substantial leap in performance.

The surge in 5G availability can be attributed partly to the remarkable growth in 5G-capable smartphones in India. Counterpoint Research reported that the share of 5G smartphone shipments crossed 52% in 2023, marking a 66% year-on-year growth. The introduction of more affordable 5G-capable devices has further fueled adoption, with significant growth observed in the $100 to $199 segment during Q4 2023.

Reliance Jio demonstrated the highest 5G availability among the two major operators, with a reported availability of 68.8% during the period, surpassing Airtel’s 5G availability of 30.3%. Leveraging a combination of low-band (700 MHz) and mid-band (3.5 GHz) spectrum, along with its extensive fiber network, Reliance Jio has managed to strike a balance between coverage and performance for its subscribers. However, Vodafone Idea, the third-largest telecom operator in India, is yet to launch its commercial 5G services, indicating ongoing developments in the Indian telecom landscape.

According to Ookla, one of the biggest reasons behind the substantial expansion of 5G in India is the increasing availability of 5G-enabled smartphones in the country. Another report from Counterpoint Research shows that the share of 5G smartphone shipments in India surpassed 52% in 2023, marking a robust 66% year-on-year growth.

Market research firm Canalys also found that in Q4 2023, a remarkable 168% growth in the segment of devices priced between Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000 played an important role in the increasing accessibility of 5G technology to a wider consumer base in India.

However, despite the positive outlook on 5G adoption and availability in India, Ookla found that consumer sentiment towards 5G is still declining. “Our data shows that, for all operators combined, 5G Net Promoter Score (NPS) in India has been decreasing quarterly. The difference in terms of uplift that 5G brings over 4G NPS score has decreased from 59.7 in Q4 2022 to 37.9 in Q4,” the report reads.

According to Ookla, there are possibly many factors that could lead to customer dissatisfaction, including network performance, customer care, pricing, and quality of other services. In my opinion, 5G availability has improved, and you see a more consistent 5G signal on your phone even when you travel across cities in India, but even now, driving through traffic or dialing a phone from a crowded place usually results in a network drop.