India's 5G subscription to surpass 350 million in 2026: Ericsson

5G subscriptions in India will cross 350 million, representing 27% of all mobile subscriptions in 2026, Swedish gear manufacturer Ericsson said in a Monday article.

The predictions come on the heels of another Fitch Ratings report that said that if the government concentrated on a 4G auction next year, India's 5G spectrum auction could be postponed.

According to the new version of the "Ericsson Mobility Report," more than 1 billion people worldwide will have access to 5G coverage by the end of 2020.

Four out of every ten smartphone subscriptions in 2026 will be 5G, the study predicts.

The latest 5G penetration in subscriptions and population coverage confirms that the technology deploys the fastest mobile connectivity of any generation.

60% of the world's population by 2026 will have access to 5G coverage, with 5G subscriptions expected to exceed 3.5 billion by 2026.

Mr. Fredrik Jejdling, Executive Vice President and Head of Networks, Ericsson, said in a statement that society has taken a big leap in digitalisation this year. The pandemic has demonstrated the effect connectivity has on our lives and has served as a catalyst for accelerated change.

5G is entering the next level, as new devices and apps take full advantage of the advantages it offers, while 5G continues to be installed by service providers. In several facets of daily life, mobile networks are a vital infrastructure, and 5G would be the gateway to future economic growth.

The study predicts that in India, 4G will continue to be the dominant technology, accounting for 63% of mobile subscriptions in 2026.

The average monthly mobile data use per smartphone in India continues to show significant growth, boosted during Covid-19 by the rapid adoption of 4G and users working from home.

The report said, during Covid-19, people's dependency on their mobile networks to stay linked as well as work from home led to an increase in average traffic per smartphone user from 13.5 GB per month in 2019 to 15.7 GB per month in 2020.

By 2026, the average traffic per smartphone is expected to further increase to about 37 GB per month.

Mr. Nitin Bansal, Head of Network Solutions for the South East Asia, Oceania, and India Business Sector, "With use cases such as smart manufacturing, smart cities and advanced healthcare applications, 5G has the potential to transform industries and society at large."

In the early years, businesses and countries that play an active role in shaping and securing the 5G ecosystem have a great opportunity to lead use case growth when the market starts.

Disclaimer: This information has been collected through secondary research and IBEF is not responsible for any errors in the same.