- 5G download speed was 16.5 times faster than 4G in India in October.
- 5G users recorded remarkable average mobile speeds of 242.1Mbps.
- 5G in India saw a boost in video streaming and multiplayer gaming.
Although the widespread availability of 5G in India has yet to be achieved, early adopters in the country have already received many benefits from the 5G technology. According to a UK-based analytics company Opensignal, users’ mobile experiences have already been significantly enhanced by 5G’s availability in the country. The report also highlighted that the 5G download speed was 16.5 times faster than 4G in India in October.
5G download/ upload speeds in India
In India, 5G users recorded remarkable average mobile speeds of 242.1Mbps, which is a staggering 16.5 times quicker than the 14.7Mbps experienced with 4G, according to the report. The increase from 4G to 5G in peak download speeds — the average speed enjoyed by the top 2 per cent of users — is likewise impressive. The top download speed for 5G in India was 690.6Mbps, which is 11.6 times faster than the peak download speed for 4G.
Compared to 4G services, 5G offered users much better average upload speeds. However, compared to download speeds, there was a smaller proportional increase. Upload rates on 5G were 5.4 times higher than on 4G, with an average of 21.2Mbps.
5G speed in India: video streaming, multiplayer gaming
When connected to 5G, users in India experienced video streaming that was ‘Very Good’ (65-75). Comparatively to 5G, the 4G Video Experience scored ‘Fair’ (40-55), which is two categories worse. The report also claims that mobile multiplayer gaming users in the country had a noticeably better experience with 5G than with 4G. The users had a ‘Fair’ (65-75) Games Experience when connected to 5G, scoring 67.9 (on a 100-point scale). However, this reduced to ‘Poor’ (40-65) when connected to 4G.
5G services in India
The long-awaited 5G spectrum auctions in India were completed in August 2022, and on October 1 of that year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially launched 5G services. Only two of India’s three main telecom providers are now offering 5G services. Using non-standalone access (NSA) technology, Airtel was the first to make a commercial debut. Jio, in contrast, has chosen to deploy 5G standalone access (SA) and is the only Indian operator currently using the 700 MHz band (5G low-band spectrum).
