India's average 5G download speed decreased in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2023, falling from 304 Mbps in the first quarter (Q1) to 280.7 Mbps. This change was attributed to a notable rise in 5G data usage during the quarter, said Opensignal, a mobile connectivity and network signal speed test app. 


"When we first reported on the early Indian 5G experience, soon after India concluded its much-awaited 5G spectrum auctions in August 2022, we found that at 242.1Mbps, India's 5G download speeds were on average 16.5 times faster than 4G. This was a promising start for the country's next-generation networks. In this analysis, we will reflect on whether 5G download speeds have been impacted by the increased load on the country’s 5G networks," Sylwia Kechiche, Senior Director of Industry Analysis at Opensignal, said in a statement.


According to speed test app's findings, India saw a decline in its average 5G download speed to 280.7 Mbps in Q4 2023.


5G Data Consumption Rose By 12.6 Per Cent In Q4


Telecom regulator Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) observed a 12.6 per cent surge in 5G data consumption, totaling 6239 petabytes, in Q4 2023.


"We can also see a significant drop in 5G download speeds across all hours of the day for our users. Furthermore, there is a greater drop during peak hours (9 pm-12 am) compared to the early morning in Q1 2024 than in Q1 2023. Evening hours are when users are most likely to stream video, watch games, and do online shopping, as mobile still tends to be the primary mode of connectivity," Kechiche noted.


By the last quarter of 2023, the count of 5G subscribers in the country hit 180 million. Telecom major Reliance Jio led the market with 108 million users, while Bharti Airtel followed closely with 72 million users. Reliance Jio reported that its 5G traffic now constitutes nearly 30 per cent of its overall mobile data traffic.


To address this issue, telecom major Bharti Airtel is focusing its capacity investments on 5G and it has stopped investing in any capacity investments in 4G. The company stated that it has rolled out about 43,100 network sites and 55,982 kilometres of fibre, as backbone network infrastructure is critical when it comes to ensuring good quality services for end users. Airtel has also previously mentioned that it has managed to offload its 4G traffic onto its 5G network.


Airtel chose to focus on 5G non-standalone access (NSA) technology, which relies on a 4G core network, while Reliance Jio has chosen 5G standalone access.