India’s 5G deployment is accelerating rapidly, with nearly half of the population (49%) expected to be using the mobile technology by the end of the decade, according to new data released by the GSMA, the global mobile industry association, ahead of its participation in October’s India Mobile Congress.
Following India’s successful 5G spectrum auction in 2022, the GSMA’s ‘Mobile Economy Asia Pacific 2024’ report predicts that the country could lead the world’s second wave of 5G deployment, offering significant economic benefits to industries such as manufacturing and fintech, as well as society at large.
The report also highlights that India is among seven countries in the Asia Pacific region leading the way in the commercial deployment of 5G Stand Alone (SA) networks. This advancement provides India’s developer community with a unique opportunity to create innovative 5G mobile applications. With over 1.2 billion smartphone connections, India is one of the top three smartphone markets in the Asia Pacific, and this number is projected to rise to 95% by 2030.
For instance, Jio has deployed over one million 5G cell sites for its SA network in India and has introduced network slicing, offering dedicated slices for gaming, high-security services, and Fixed Wireless Access customers, among other applications.
The GSMA is presenting these findings during a week-long delegation visit across India, where it is hosting two industry roundtables in Chennai and Mumbai and engaging in a series of governmental meetings in New Delhi in preparation for its presence at the India Mobile Congress in October.
In collaboration with industry partners, the GSMA will conduct two roundtables this week, titled: ‘Advancing Manufacturing with 5G: From Smart Factories to Supply Chain Efficiency’ in Chennai, and ‘AI and 5G Advanced: Uniting Forces for Smarter Telecom Networks’ in Mumbai.
The Mobile Economy Report also indicates that India will emerge as a leader in the Asia Pacific’s licensed cellular IoT market, which is expected to double in size between 2023 and 2030, with a compound annual growth rate of 9%. Industrial IoT will be a key topic at the GSMA’s Chennai roundtable, which will explore the future of 5G in manufacturing and its vast potential for enhancing productivity, efficiency, and waste reduction through smart factories and automated guided vehicles in supply chains.
Julian Gorman, Head of Asia Pacific at GSMA, said: “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.
“The GSMA looks forward to meeting with government and industry this week to explore further initiatives that can drive forward 5G progress and discuss how we can support them ahead of India Mobile Congress,” he said.
Looking ahead to India Mobile Congress
The GSMA will be enhancing its presence at this year’s India Mobile Congress, with attendance from its global leadership team, meetings with government and industry bodies, and an exhibition pavilion.
The GSMA’s Director General, Mats Granryd, and Head of Asia Pacific, Julian Gorman, will take part in the industry CEO breakfast hosted by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and meet with Indian dignitaries during the Congress. Chief Regulatory Officer John Giusti will participate in the TRAI International Regulatory Conference.
Additionally, GSMA delegates will join the Network of Women for the WTSA-24 event on 17th October. Last year’s G20 Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi brought digital inclusion to the forefront of global policy discussions and set a target to halve the digital gender gap by 2030. The GSMA’s recent ‘Mobile Gender Gap’ report shows that India is making significant progress, with a 10% reduction in its mobile gender gap over the past year.
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