Elevating 5G with differentiated connectivity in India

Over one-third of 5G users in India now believe best-effort 5G isn’t sufficient for their needs

Indian 5G users are setting a high bar for expected network performance: in a country with a population of   well over a billion, 35 percent of users now believe best-effort 5G no longer meets their connectivity requirements. This percentage surpasses consumer expectations levels in both the US and China, although it is still lower than countries traditionally seen as leaders in technology adoption, such as Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Beyond streaming, Indian consumers want assured performance for GenAI, gaming, and payment and banking apps such as Paytm, PhonePe and Google Pay. And with 6 in 10 users willing to pay extra for network improvements, India’s market shows a strong willingness to invest in differentiated connectivity for a better experience, opening up opportunities for service providers to meet this demand and subsequently increase revenue. 

Over one-third of 5G users in India report slower than expected data speeds in crowded locations

With an annual growth of over 20 percent in music events in India from 2017–2024, the demand for reliable, high-capacity 5G connectivity has never been greater. However, Ericsson ConsumerLab research shows that 64 percent of users visiting locations such as stadiums, arenas and tourist attractions acknowledge that they will face connectivity issues, with 35 percent of users reporting slower than expected data speeds. Additionally, 27 percent report frequently experiencing issues during their most recent visits. 

These numbers highlight the 5G connectivity need at crowded locations – like the Delhi Metro stations or the Taj Mahal in Agra – and also provide an opportunity for service providers to increase customer satisfaction.

The graph illustrates the persistent challenges for 5G users across crowded locations, either due to lack of capacity or poor coverage.  

Four in ten 5G users in India are ready to redirect current app spend to apps with built-in high-performance connectivity

Four in ten Indian 5G users are willing to redirect on average 12 percent of their current monthly app spending towards buying apps that offer enhanced, built-in connectivity performance. In a country with around 365 million 5G users, this demand opens up a huge opportunity for developers, startups, and app publishers to deliver guaranteed performance by leveraging Quality on Demand (QoD) network APIs provided by service providers. These APIs enable developers to secure consistent connectivity for their apps, allowing them to focus on innovation without having to optimize for poor network conditions. This also illustrates an opportunity for service providers to expand their offerings, provide consumers with more choice, and increase monetization of connectivity performance.

The graph shows the percentage of consumers that would be willing to pay for premium tiers that guarantee better performance, and how much they would be willing to reallocate.

Three-fifths of Indian 5G users would accept a price increase for better network performance

The Ericsson ConsumerLab survey shows that 6 in 10 Indian 5G users would be willing to accept a price increase for assured network improvements. One reason for this is the surge in GenAI usage in India, and with it, the expectations for 5G performance. In fact,16 percent of overall users report dissatisfaction with the responsiveness of GenAI apps on 5G networks, with that figure doubled for users aged 15 to 24.

GenAI apps require real-time responses and robust connectivity. With half of the smartphone users in the survey blaming their service provider’s network as the reason for poor GenAI performance, this indicates a clear call for service providers to ensure seamless, high-quality connectivity for AI applications.

The graph below shows the opinions of Indian 5G users on tariff increases relative to improved network performance.

The graphs illustrate 5G and 4G satisfaction scores over the years in the Philippines and highlight how network performance satisfaction levels differ for users depending on where they live.