Consumer buzz continues to rise as 5G is billed to transcend smartphones and connect anything – from cars, homes, machines to household gadgets with an internet connection at speeds almost 100 times quicker than 4G. Post- 5G rollouts, India’s global ranking on mobile download speeds, too, looks a lot cooler at 47 from its 119th just over a year ago, according to speed-test app Ookla. But paucity of affordable 5G phones and a yet-to-mature devices ecosystem have hindered adoption levels. The dismal state of fibre infrastructure and absence of mass consumer- and enterprise-level 5G use cases haven’t helped. Jio and Airtel are offering 5G mobile broadband at 4G rates. This is since headline tariff hikes, perceived as risky business in a price-sensitive turf, are virtually ruled out till after the general elections.
A glimmer at the end of the tunnel is the new, 5G-based fixed wireless access (FWA) services. 5G monetisation could well be underway if FWA catches on and drives broadband adoption among the 85 million-odd pay-TV homes that still don’t have internet access. Such a scenario could, by some estimates, unlock a potential $7-10 billion revenue opportunity in the near-to-mid-term future. More so since India has 250-300 million households of which only 30 million have fixed broadband connections.