According to a report published by Ericsson, India is estimated to have ~ 40 million 5G users in its first year of providing next-generation services in the country. According to the Ericsson Consumer Lab report, consumers have expressed the willingness pay 50% more for 5G plans combined with digital services, while willingness to pay only 10% more for only 5G connections.

Data collected from 26 countries / regions in December 2020 shows that consumers in several other markets are willing to pay an average of 20-30% more for 5G plans combined with digital service use cases.

The mobile phone company already offer 5G-enabled smartphones in the country; the service is due to get launched.

According to the report, 22% of mobile users in India have 5G smartphones but have 4G connections.

Mr. Nitin Bansal, Head of Ericsson India, said, "As Indian service providers are preparing for 5G implementation, Ericsson Consumer Lab’s research has yielded some significant consumer insights about 5G, which will help them promote 5G adoption and satisfy consumers’ needs.”

The government was planning to promote the launch of commercial 5G services by 2020 and is yet to finalize its next-generation technology spectrum allocation plan.

In mid-May 2021, the Ministry of Telecommunications approved field testing trials of 5G services application.

According to the report, “India's readiness to upgrade has increased the most, with 67% of users expressing intention to use 5G after 5G becomes available, an increase of 14% from 2019.”

As per the report, “7 of 10 potential early adopters expect 5G in India to be more efficient than 4G, and 6 out of 10 people want communication service providers to provide pricing innovations, such as sharing 5G data among family members or data between devices.”

The average of 20 markets shows that 39% of consumers are willing to upgrade to 5G, bringing the total number of 5G users to 300 million in 2021.

According to the report, “If commercial 5G launches could take place in other markets such as India, Indonesia and Brazil, the estimated total number of 5G users could surpass 300 million in 2021.”