5G subscribers in India likely to jump over 2,000% in next 5 years: Report

Most companies, however, believe that employees will have to be upskilled and re-skilled to fully leverage the 5G technology: TeamLease Services

The number of 5G subscribers in India is expected to jump 2,125 per cent to 690 million by the end of 2028 from 31 million in 2022, a report released on Wednesday showed. This will further push the coverage of mobile subscriptions in the country from 77 per cent in 2022 to 94 per cent in 2028.

Global 5G mobile subscriptions are expected to reach five billion by the end of 2028.

The "India's 5G rollout: Revolutionizing the People Supply Chain '' report released by TeamLease Services on Wednesday also showed that India needs to cultivate a skilled workforce of at least eight million by 2025 to fully leverage the 5G technology.

 

80 per cent of 297 companies surveyed for the report said that information technology (IT) and banking & financial services (BFSI) will be the primary beneficiaries of 5G.

Education (48 per cent), gaming (48 per cent), and retail & e-commerce (46 per cent) are the other industries that will enjoy benefits due to 5G.

The report further showed that nearly half of the Indian companies (46 per cent) anticipate job creation ranging from 61 per cent to 80 per cent within the first year of 5G's implementation.

In the next three years, 41 per cent of respondents anticipate a "significant impact" of more than 80 per cent on job creation over. Within the next five years, 50 per cent of respondents expect an impact ranging from 80 per cent to 100 per cent.

"The impending 5G rollout is expected to lead to an 80 per cent increase in tech-related jobs. Telecommunications companies embracing 5G solutions present a promising growth opportunity. As telcos leverage the potential of 5G in network upgradation, migration, IoT/IIoT, mobility, network infrastructure, and network security, we anticipate increased hiring for specialized roles. This advancement creates new opportunities and drives demand roles such as technical content writers, networking engineers, AI/ML professionals, UX designers, cloud computing engineers, cybersecurity specialists, data science and analytical experts, and more," said Kartik Narayan, chief executive officer (CEO) of staffing, TeamLease Services.

However, most companies (88 per cent) believe that fully leveraging the technology will require upskilling and re-skilling. The most in-demand 5G jobs were found to be: cloud infrastructure engineers, cybersecurity experts, and data science specialists.

Earlier, the "Unfolding India's Era of Digital Convergence" report released by Nasscom had said that 5G technology is expected to contribute about 2 per cent to India's gross domestic product (GDP) amounting to $180 billion by 2030.