One of the major telecom companies in the country Reliance Jio has made a significant statement regarding 5G coming to India. As per the company, the country will have at least 100 million to 150 million 5G smartphone users in the market even before the official 5G launch. Also Read – Flipkart Big Saving Days Sale 2021 goes live at midnight: Deals on smartphones, tablets, Smart TVs, and more
Sunil Dutt, president of devices and mobility, for Jio said that “We can expect between 100 to 150 million 5G smartphones existing in the country by the time the network starts off.” Dutt was part of the panel at the India Mobile Congress and talked about the 5G consumer base in the country. Also Read – Best Christmas gifts for gamers: Gaming subscriptions, controllers, more
5G users in India
According to an earlier report by Swedish telecommunication giant Ericsson Mobility Report, the number of 5G mobile users in India will increase to 500 million by 2027. As per the report, the 5G mobile subscribers are expected to reach 660 million by 2021, about 98 million by the third quarter of 2021. The report further states that the 5G network in the country is expected to reach 2 billion people by the end of 2021. Also Read – Top movies/shows on Netflix that a techie should not miss: Jamtara, You, The Social Dilemma and more
However, the dominance of 4G in the world will not diminish soon. Especially in the next 5 years, the 4G smartphone market will have a significant share. Dutt further mentions how 4G empowered the government, and there was a ”generational shift from 2G to 4G.”
As per the report, there are 790 million 4G smartphones in the country, which is expected to come down to 710 million in the next five years, which means the 4G market will see a decline of 2 percent year on year.
Almost all the telecommunication companies have started 5G trials in the country. However, Vodafone Idea, Reliance Jio, Airtel have requested the Department of Telecom (DoT) provides a one-year extension for 5G trials. The last deadline has been extended by 6 months. Hence the 5G auctions are expected to be in the country in April-May next year.