India’s 5G Network Sees Decline in Download Speeds Amid Rising Data Consumption in 2023: Opensignal

Highlights

• Average 5G download speed in India dropped to 280.7 Mbps in Q4 2023
• 5G data consumption surged by 12.6%, reaching 6239 petabytes in Q4 2023
• Reliance Jio leads with 108 million 5G subscribers, followed by Airtel with 72 million
• Airtel expands 5G infrastructure, improving average download speeds to 273.6 Mbps

A report by Opensignal claimed that download speeds of India’s 5G network have slowed down in the fourth quarter of 2023.

In Q4 2023, the average 5G download speed came to 280.7 Mbps, as opposed to a significant fall from 304 Mbps witnessed in the first quarter.

5G Consumption on the Rise

According to the above press release, the fall in average revenue per user was mainly due to a large rise in 5G data consumption.

TRAI reported that there is a 12.6% rise in 5G data usage in Q4 2023, which reaches 6239 petabytes.

This surge is attributed to the rise in the number of 5G subscribers in the country.

At the end of Q4 2023, 5G users in India had already reached 180 million.

Reliance Jio was at the top with 108 million 5G subscribers while Airtel had 72 million users.

According to Jio, its 5G traffic was fast approaching 30% of total mobile data traffic.

The impact of this surge in consumption was clearly seen on declining download speeds.

For Opensignal, 5G speeds experienced a stiff fall during peak hours from 9 PM – 12 AM in Q1 2024 against Q1 2023, driven by increased evening usage for activities like streaming, gaming, and online shopping.

Airtel Expanding 5G Infrastructure

One of the important players of the Indian 5G market, Airtel, has concentrated its investments solely in 5G and has stopped 4G network expansions.

Deployed approximately 43,100 of their network sites and a total of 55,982 kilometers of fiber optic cables; these are all part of what it takes to maintain quality service.

Airtel is utilizing 5G NSA, with this non-standalone technology relying on a 4G core network.

That means India has 446,000 5G base transceiver stations at present, or 31 BTS per 100,000 people.

In comparison, the number stood at 593 in South Korea and 103 BTS per 100,000 people in the 27-country European Union, thus leaving a lot of scope for expansion of 5G infrastructure in the country.

Airtel’s 5G performance showed improvements in most regions, except for Punjab, Mumbai, and Delhi.

Airtel’s average 5G download speed increased to 273.6 Mbps in Q1 2024, from 260.4 Mbps in Q1 2023, with the availability of Airtel’s 5G growing from 12.5% to 20.7% during the same period.

Jio Download Speeds Falling

On the other hand, Jio, another major operator, has seen a plethora of its national 5G download speed sink—from 323.6 Mbps recorded in Q1 2023 to 261.8 Mbps in Q1 2024.

Those areas that have been affected by this slump are predominantly from Uttar Pradesh, Assam, and West Bengal.

While the availability of 5G episodes for Jio increased drastically from 34.9% in Q1 2023 to 64.9% in Q1 2024, this change was caused by the addition of low-band spectrum, such as 700 MHz and 3.5 GHz, inside Jio’s arsenal.

Looking ahead, Opensignal will continue to monitor India’s 5G performance, especially with Vodafone Idea (Vi) preparing to launch 5G services.

A 5G spectrum auction scheduled for June 25, 2024, will include various bands valued at Rs. 96,317.65 crore, which could further shape the country’s 5G landscape.

FAQs

Why did India’s 5G download speeds decline in Q4 2023?

The decline in 5G download speeds was primarily due to a substantial increase in 5G data consumption, which surged by 12.6%, reaching 6239 petabytes.

Which telecom operator has the most 5G subscribers in India?

Reliance Jio leads the market with 108 million 5G subscribers, followed by Airtel with 72 million users.

How has Airtel’s 5G performance changed recently?

Airtel’s average 5G download speed increased from 260.4 Mbps in Q1 2023 to 273.6 Mbps in Q1 2024, with improved 5G availability growing from 12.5% to 20.7%.

What challenges has Jio faced in maintaining 5G download speeds?

Jio experienced a decline in its national 5G download speed from 323.6 Mbps in Q1 2023 to 261.8 Mbps in Q1 2024, particularly in regions like Uttar Pradesh, Assam, and West Bengal.

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