NEW DELHI: India can lead the world’s second wave of 5G deployment for the economic benefit of industries including manufacturing and fintech, as well as society as a whole, says GSMA’s Mobile Economy Asia Pacific 2024 report. The report notes that India’s 5G deployment is expanding rapidly, with almost half the population (49%) expected to use the technology by the end of the decade. According to the report, India is one of seven countries in the Asia-Pacific region leading the commercial deployment of 5G standalone (SA) networks. This advancement is creating opportunities for India’s developer community to innovate with new 5G mobile applications.
“India already has the third largest user base of 5G in the world and is on track to become one of the top telecoms superpowers by the end of the decade. The government’s ambition to accelerate this digital transformation will help it reach its goal of becoming the world’s third largest economy by 2030,” said Julian Gorman, head of Asia-Pacific at GSMA.
India is estimated to have over 1.2 billion smartphone connections, positioning it among the top three smartphone markets in Asia-Pacific. Smartphone adoption is projected to reach 95% by 2030. For instance, Jio has rolled out more than one million 5G cell sites for its SA network in India, incorporating network slicing for applications such as gaming, high-security services, and fixed wireless access.
The Mobile Economy report also indicates that India will emerge as a leader in the licensed cellular Internet of Things market, which is expected to double in size in the region between 2023 and 2030, with a compounded annual growth rate of 9%.