Ookla has recently shared their findings on the performance and user experience of 5G, in India examining progress made since the introduction of the 5G network in 2022. The widespread adoption of 5G across India by leading operators like Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel has significantly boosted the country’s standing in global 5G performance rankings.
All You Need to Know about India Being Ranked 14th in 5G Speeds Globally
India saw a rollout of 5G networks nationwide by players such as Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel. By December 2023 over 400,000 active 5G base stations were spread throughout the country propelling India into the tier for median download speeds on 5G.
The speed gap between 5G and 4G in India was substantial. In Q4 of 2023, the median download speed for 5G stood at a rate that was eighteen times faster than that of 4G. With speeds reaching up to around 301.86 Mbps for a typical user on a given network compared to only about 16.05 Mbps on a standard cellular connection.
Furthermore, even those falling within the range among users experienced speeds more than double that of the median download speed for users on traditional 4G connections. Underscoring just how superior the performance of the newer technology is over its predecessor.
Throughout the year 2023 there was an uptick in 5G services across India; starting at 28.1% coverage during Q1 and rising to 52.0% by Q4 of the same year. Reliance Jio took the lead in providing services to its customers achieving an availability rate of up to 68.8% in Q4 2023 surpassing Bharti Airtel. The increasing popularity of smartphones compatible with 5G accounting for over half of all shipments in 2023 played a role in driving the adoption of 5G technology.
Both Reliance Jio and Airtel’s 5G networks enhanced video streaming and mobile gaming experiences compared to their 4G LTE counterparts. The transition to 5G resulted in faster video start times and reduced latency for gamers with Reliance Jio recording a latency of 77ms and Airtel reporting 92ms. Additionally, Reliance Jios 5G network showed a video start time of 1.14 seconds while Airtels was slightly slower at 1.99 seconds compared to their generation networks.
Despite a decrease consumer sentiment toward 5G remained positive in India as indicated by Net Promoter Scores (NPS) surpassing those for 4G LTE services. In Q4 of the year, Reliance Jio and Airtel received NPS scores for their 5G services at ratings of approximately 7.4 and 7.5. However, the enthusiasm surrounding the shift from using the generation technology to embracing technologies like
Ooklas report highlights Vodafone Idea’s plans to introduce advanced services in India by mid-2024. Operators are expanding their range of services with offerings such as Jio AirFiber and Xstream AirFiber. Furthermore, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is set to auction 5G bands in May 2024 indicating a growth and enhancement of 5G services nationwide.
