40 Million Users Might Choose 5G Services Within A Year: Ericsson

Even though no one knows when 5G will be deployed in India, it is expected that 40 million smartphone users might choose for the network in the first year. Besides, it is expected that Indian users might pay 50 percent extra for the 5G plans as per Ericsson's ConsumerLab report.

The report said that 67 percent of users in India are likely to choose to upgrade to 5G services once it will be available, which means 14 percent higher than in 2019. This comes at that time when the DoT approved 5G trials in the country; however, the trials have not started yet.

The report states that 22 percent of users in urban India are already using 5G smartphones, which are Android devices. "So there is a great foundation for the 5G launch available in India... but, of course, we need to show them a reason to go ahead and upgrade," Jasmeet Singh Sethi, heading the Ericsson ConsumerLab was quoted by Indian Express.

5G Smartphone User Behaviour In India

The report said that 5G smartphone users are not dependent on Wi-Fi. Besides, the report added that 5G smartphone users are spending two hours are on cloud-based mobile gaming and one hour on augmented reality applications.

"Covid-19 lockdowns and movement restrictions mean that the vast majority of 5G early adopters' regular experiences with the technology have been indoors. As a result, early adopters indicate that indoor coverage is two times more important than speed or battery life in delivering satisfactory 5G experiences," the report added.

Expected Speed Of 5G Network In India

Furthermore, the report states that 7 in 10 early adopters of the upcoming 5G technology can expect high speed than 4G. It said that 6 in 10 users can expect that 5G pricing might be higher than 4G tariff plans. In addition, the report pointed out that 5G smartphone users in the country are spending more time on videos and online gaming.

It is worth mentioning that 5G works on the low band, medium, and high band; however, the Indian Government has fixed the 3300 MHz and 3600 MHz bands for the same. The Government is still deciding on a low and medium band.

Besides, telecom operators are not ready to conduct trials on the Indian standards as it might increase the overall investment size, which is why we believe that Indians have to wait until the end of the next year to use 5G services or take advantage of their 5G smartphones.