Nokia’s annual Mobile Broadband Index (MBiT) report for 2022 showed that India has one of the world’s highest data usage rates, with a Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 53% over the last five years.
Data traffic increased by 31% in 2021, with average monthly mobile data consumption at around 17GB per user. Throughout 2021, almost all mobile broadband traffic in India was carried over 4G networks, with build-outs continuing nationwide – around 40 million subscribers were added or upgraded to 4G during the year as the ecosystem of 4G-capable devices expands.
In 2021, India recorded its highest-ever smartphone shipment of more than 160 million devices, including 30 million 5G devices. During the year, active 4G-capable device penetration passed 80%, with over 10 million active 5G devices.
The report forecasts that user adoption will increase to ~60-75% of the smartphone user base by the calendar year 2025. The massive uptake of mobile broadband and video content is projected in the rural segment on the back of growing smartphone adoption.
Nokia MBiT report projects that 5G services revenue is likely to grow at a CAGR of 164% in five years. This is in line with the global momentum gained by 5G - the technology is expected to contribute up to 1% of global GDP or $1.3 trillion in revenue by 2030, driven by innovative use cases in several sectors, including healthcare, utilities, next-generation media applications, manufacturing and smart cities.
Sanjay Malik, SVP & Head of India Market, at Nokia, said: "4G has played a crucial role in developing India's mobile broadband ecosystem. Now, the upcoming 5G spectrum auction and the commercial launch of services later this year will help India bridge the digital divide and enable service providers to provide new and exciting use cases like Industry 4.0 and smart cities to fuel the digital economy. We look forward to supporting the Indian telcos in deploying 5G networks and providing a world-class network performance to citizens and enterprises."
Other key findings of the Nokia MBiT 2022 report:
- The shortform video segment can account for 20% of India's digital ad market, estimated to reach $25-35 billion by the end of 2030.
- Indian Gen Z spends an average of 8 hours per day online.
- 90% of internet users in India prefer to consume content in their local language
- Key 5G use cases in India will be in the domains of innovation, digitization and innovation
- India's forecasted mobile broadband penetration is ~80%, with average usage of 40GB.
