5G vs 4G in India: Users on 5G networks are utilizing approximately 3.6 times more mobile data compared to those on 4G networks.
5G vs 4G in India: Officially launched in India in 2022, 5G services have been expanded by major companies like Reliance Jio and Airtel, with ongoing efforts. However, Vodafone-Idea has lagged behind, while BSNL is set to initiate 4G services. A recent report from Nokia, titled Mobile Broadband Index, reveals that users on 5G networks are consuming 3.6 times more mobile data than those on 4G networks.
According to the Nokia report, in 2023, 5G contributed to 15 percent of the total data traffic, with users consuming 17.4 exabytes of data per month. The annual growth of data usage over the last 5 years has been reported at 26 percent.
Notably, 1 exabyte equals 1 billion gigabytes (GB). The report attributes the surge in data usage to the rapid expansion of the 5G ecosystem. Out of the total 79.4 crore active devices, 17 percent (13.4 crore) are now 5G enabled.
Amit Marwah, head of marketing and corporate affairs at Nokia India, stated in a PTI report that data consumption in India has risen by 20 percent on a year-on-year basis, reaching 17.4 exabytes per month, one of the highest rates globally. On average, each customer is using 24 GB of data per month.