5G users on average consuming 3.6-times more data than 4G users in India: Nokia

5G users in India are using nearly 3.6-times as much mobile data traffic compared to 4G since its launch in October 2023, according to Finnish telecom gear maker Nokia.

Nokia, in its annual MBiT Report for 2024 released Wednesday, said that in 2023, users consumed 17.4 exabytes (EB) of data per month with a compound annual growth rate of (CAGR) of 26% over the past five years.

“The launch of 5G has emerged as a significant catalyst for the growth in data usage, contributing to 15% of all data traffic in 2023,” Nokia said in the report.

As per the vendor, fifth-generation or 5G traffic has grown across all telecom circles, with metros leading the charge and reaching a 20% share in the overall mobile data traffic.

Nokia said in the report that the average monthly data traffic per user also surged by 24% annually in 2023, reaching 24.1GB per user per month.

Interestingly, 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) users consume 2.5-times more data than average 5G users. Further, 17% of active 4G devices — or 134 million out of 796 million — are now 5G capable.

Tarun Chhabra, Head of Mobile Networks Business at Nokia (India) said, “What is immediately obvious is the proliferation of 5G technology across India and the increasing demand for super-fast 5G data speeds. Nokia looking forward to continuing to work hand-in-hand with our operator partners to help them meet customer demand.”