India launched 5G network in October 2022 and more than 12 months later, the country’s 5G network roll out, expansion and overall standings in the download speeds has gone up. Latest industry report suggests India now ranks 14 globally with its 5G median speed with 301 Mbps average speed as of Q4 2023. The report via Ookla also talks about the increased 5G availability which is now above 50 percent in a short time.
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5G In India: How It Compares With 4G Data For Users
Having 5G download speeds of 301 Mbps puts it way above the ranks that 4G network offers through the supported devices. Compared to this, the 4G median speed was 16.05 Mbps which is a staggering 18 times lower than what a 5G user got during the period. More importantly, the upload speeds on 5G networks were 6 times faster than 4G LTE which is a better way to gauge how the network is performing.
The global rank of 14 means, India’s 5G speeds are below the following countries:
– UAE
– Qatar
– South Korea
– Malaysia
– Brazil
– Dominican Republic
– Bahrain
– Kuwait
– Macau
– Singapore
– Saudi Arabia
– New Zealand
– Bulgaria
The 5G availability in India is over 50 percent now, and it does help that most phones are launching with a 5G network as the default option. People are still using 4G-only phones who will be expected to upgrade once the 5G phone prices in India come down, and we are already seeing the shift, with more expected in 2024.
When you get high 5G median speeds, the demand for video streaming goes up straight away. The report clearly sees the data usage on 5G networks in India aiding more content viewing on the go, as well as people enjoying games without losing quality. People using 5G networks have seen their video start times drop from 1.99 seconds on 4G LTE to 1.14 seconds. The median latency has also improved, which lets you enjoy glitch-free games on a 5G network.
Jio and Airtel are heading the queue with their 5G services with Vodafone Idea still in the planning stages for its 5G roll out in the country.
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5G data services have been available without any premium being charged which could change eventually, and telcos will be hoping that these high 5G speeds tempt people to shell out more from their pockets when that day comes in the near future.
