India has solidified its position as the world's top contributor to mobile subscriber growth, with an increase of 7 million new subscribers during the June quarter of 2023, according to a recent report by Ericsson. This surge in mobile subscriptions can be attributed to India's affordable internet services and its highly competitive telecom market.
Surpassing China and the United States, India led the charge in mobile subscriber additions. The Ericsson report reveals that the global tally of mobile subscriptions has now reached a staggering 8.3 billion, with a net addition of 40 million subscriptions during the quarter.
The report specifically highlighted India's performance, stating, "India accounted for the most net additions during the quarter (7 million), followed by China (5 million) and the US (3 million)." India's mobile subscriber base surged by approximately 7 million, reaching a total of 1,125 million during the second quarter of 2023. In contrast, China's mobile subscriber base expanded by 5 million, reaching 1,695 million.
Additionally, India made significant strides in 5G subscriptions, witnessing a growth of 175 million subscribers during the June 2023 quarter, bringing the total to 1.3 billion 5G subscribers.
The report also noted that around 260 communications service providers globally have launched commercial 5G services, with approximately 35 deploying or launching 5G standalone (SA) networks.
On a global scale, mobile subscription penetration reached 105%, with the number of unique mobile subscribers reaching 6.1 billion in the quarter. The mobile broadband subscriber base increased by 5% annually, reaching around 100 million during the same period. Mobile broadband connections now account for 88% of all mobile subscriptions.