Over 100 million s in India with 5G-ready smartphones want to 5G network in 2023 and many of them are willing to pay up to 45 percent , a study by Ericsson said on Wednesday.
The smartphone market after China. The study by Ericsson has indicated a lucrative monetisation and "extremely good" ARPU (average revenue per ) uplift potential for telcos in the country.
That said, 5G network performance will be a driver for loyalty, and among those who plan to 5G, about 36 percent plan to churn to the best provider of the 5G network when it is available.
About 60 percent of early adopters who already have a 5G-capable phone expect new innovative applications, which are considered more appealing than better coverage.
"These s are even willing to pay a 45 per cent for plan bundled with novel experiences provided their expectations are met," the survey revealed.
The report 'Promise of 5G' in India by Ericsson ConsumerLab, was carried out in the second quarter this year and reflects the views of 300 million daily smartphone s in urban India. The report highlights key insights that will drive the uptake of 5G in India.
5G adoption is expected to start with consumers and then move to enterprises. The consumer 5G readiness is high in India, the report noted.
Notably, the intention to 5G in urban India is two times higher than their counterparts in markets like the UK and US where 5G has already been launched.
"Over the past two years, India has witnessed three times increase in smartphone s who own a 5G handset. The study reveals that 100 million-plus s with 5G-ready smartphones wish to a 5G subscription in 2023 while more than half of them are open to upgrading to a higher data tier plan in the next 12 months," the report by the Swedish telecom gear maker said.
Jasmeet Sethi, Head of Ericsson ConsumerLab, during a virtual briefing, said the transition to 5G provides an opportunity for service providers in India to strengthen their position in the consumer market, with a focus on 5G quality and availability.
"More innovative experiences need to be bundled to meet the expectations of early adopters to successfully monetise 5G," Sethi said.
Many consumers who were surveyed indicated willingness to pay about 10 percent for 5G connectivity, but a bigger uplift on the will come in when at least three different services are bundled on top of a 5G plan, according to Ericsson.
"That uplifts the by another 35 percent resulting in total of about 45 per cent, which is extremely good sort of an ARPU uplift, and we don't think this is impossible," Sethi said citing global average 5G s that tend to range between 20-40 percent.
Buying an affordable 5G smartphone today usually means you will end up paying a "5G tax". What does that mean for those looking to get access to 5G networks as soon as they launch? Find out on this week's episode. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.