Mobile infrastructure and handset company Nokia on Wednesday published the findings of its annual Indian market focused Mobile Broadband Index (MBiT), which revealed that 5G users are using approximately 3.6 times as much mobile data traffic compared to 4G since its launch in October 2022.

In 2023, users consumed 17.4 exabytes per month, with a CAGR of 26 percent over the past five years, the company said in a release.

Commenting on the findings, Tarun Chhabra, Head of Mobile Networks Business at Nokia (India), said “We are delighted to release the latest edition of Nokia’s Mobile Broadband Index for 2024. What is immediately obvious is the incredible proliferation of 5G technology across India and the increasing demand for super-fast 5G data speeds. Nokia looks forward to continuing to work hand-in-hand with our operator partners to help them meet customer demand.”

The report highlights a paradigm shift in the Indian mobile data landscape, driven by the growing adoption of 5G technology. 5G traffic has shown substantial growth across all telecom circles, with metro circles leading the charge and reaching a 20 percent share of the overall mobile data traffic.

Enhanced 5G availability and performance, coupled with the availability of wide range of affordable devices, as well as the introduction of new data-intensive apps and services, will accelerate future 5G growth.

The average monthly data traffic per user also surged by 24 per cent year-on-year in 2023, reaching 24.1 gigabytes per user per month.

The rise of 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) will also serve as a key enabler for new services in both the home and business, with FWA users expected to consume an estimated 2.5 times more data than average 5G users.

The 5G device ecosystem in India is rapidly evolving, with approximately 17 per cent of active 4G devices, totalling 134 million out of 796 million, now being 5G capable.

The Nokia MBiT 2024 report also highlights that the years leading up to 2030 will produce major shifts in technology, leading to new opportunities and a digitized and programmable world.

(With UNI inputs)