40 million Indians could take up 5G in first year of availability, says report

Ericsson's ConsumerLab report noted that consumers in India are also willing to pay 50 percent more for 5G plans with bundled digital services.

At least 40 million smartphone users in India could take up 5G in the first year of its availability, according to a research. As of now, 5G is not yet available for commercial usage in the country and the telecom service providers have just gotten the go-ahead for 5G trials which will last for 6 months. Consumers in India are also willing to pay 50 percent more for 5G plans with bundled digital services, compared to just 10 percent premium for 5G connectivity, according to a report by Ericsson Consumer Lab. The report further noted that India has the biggest intention to upgrade with 67 per cent of users expressing an intention to take up 5G once it is available, which is an increase in 14 percentage points since 2019. 7 in 10 potential early adopters of 5G expect higher speeds than 4G while 6 in 10 expect pricing innovation like 5G data sharing between family members or across devices. 5G-ready smartphone users in India already spend more time on enhanced video and multiplayer mobile gaming, the report noted. A key report finding reveals that even by the end of 2020, increased awareness of service and value benefits could have resulted in 22 percent more smartphone users with 5G-ready handsets upgrading to 5G subscriptions.