Nokia just released its annual Mobile Broadband Index (MBiT) report 2022. In the report, Nokia highlighted that 4G data traffic in the country grew 6.5x in the last five years. In the same time period, India has more than doubled its mobile broadband subscribers from 345 million to 765 million users. The data usage in India in the last five years has grown at a 53% compounded annual growth rate (CAGR). The growing number of data users and consumption per user is helping the government and the county in achieving the Digital India vision.
Average Mobile Data Per User Consumption Touched 17GB Per Month in 2021
According to the Nokia MBiT report 2022, the data traffic in India increased by 31% in 2021, and the average mobile data per user consumption touched 17GB per month. Almost all of the mobile broadband traffic in 2021 was carried by India’s growing 4G networks. The report further says that almost 40 million mobile users upgraded to 4G services in 2021. The growth of the ecosystem of 4G-capable devices in India is leading to growth in the number of 4G subscribers and data traffic. During the year, more than 160 million smartphones were shipped in India, which also includes 30 million 5G devices. The active 4G capable devices crossed 80% of the total devices, and the number of active 5G capable devices crossed 10 million.
5G Services Revenue Likely to Grow at 164% CAGR in Five Years
In line with the global momentum gained by 5G, the report from Nokia highlights that 5G services revenue is likely to grow at 164% CAGR in the coming five years. Sanjay Malik, SVP & Head of India Market, at Nokia, said 4G had played a crucial role in developing India’s mobile broadband ecosystem and with the 5G spectrum auction and the commercial launch of services in late 2022 will help with reducing the digital divide in the country.