'India’s 5G journey approaching new phase of maturity; unlocking value on horizon now': Ericsson India MD Nitin Bansal

NEW DELHI: Having reached almost all districts of the country and with 43 crore subscriptions at the end of 2025, India’s 5G journey “is approaching a new phase of maturity” with the next chapter going to be more about “unlocking value through 5G standalone, 5G-advanced, AI and differentiated connectivity services.” With this change, Ericsson India MD Nitin Bansal sees three major shifts defining the evolution of the country’s telecom sector in coming years — network monetisation, intelligent networks and enabling.Bansal, who is also Ericsson’s head of network solutions for market area Southeast Asia, Oceania and India, has told TOI: “India’s 5G journey has been remarkable not just for its speed, but for the scale at which it has been executed. The industry's initial focus was on deploying nationwide 5G infrastructure at unprecedented speed. Going forward, operators will increasingly focus on monetising those investments through differentiated services, enterprise solutions and new digital business models.”He sees technologies like 5G standalone, network slicing and APIs enabling operators to move beyond best-effort connectivity and offering performance-based services tailored to specific customer requirements. This will create opportunities in areas like immersive experiences, gaming, fixed wireless access, enterprise connectivity and mission-critical applications.“As networks become more complex, AI will play an increasingly central role in how they are operated. Another important shift will be the convergence of AI and connectivity,” says Bansal. As AI applications become more prevalent, networks will need to provide higher uplink capacity, guaranteed quality of service, low latency and high reliability.“For India, this presents an opportunity to accelerate digital transformation across manufacturing, transportation, healthcare, utilities and public services while supporting the country's broader digital economy ambitions,” he says.The Swedish mobile connectivity solutions provider sees India as a strategic talent, technology and innovation hub for itself. “India is one of Ericsson's most strategic markets globally, both as a large telecom market and as a centre for innovation, talent and manufacturing. Our investment priorities are focused on strengthening India as an R&D and innovation hub, particularly in areas such as AI, 6G, network APIs, RAN software and semiconductor design. We are also deepening our local manufacturing footprint,” he said.“We have more than 20,000 employees in the country, including over 2,100 people in R&D. Our teams contribute to both the Indian market and Ericsson’s global technology roadmap. Our priority is to deepen capabilities. The dedicated RAN Software R&D unit in Bengaluru is developing 5G and 5G-Advanced features for Ericsson’s 5G baseband, while our ASIC development work is strengthening India’s role in semiconductor design and global product development,” he said.As 5G coverage expands and its Standalone capabilities mature, consumers can expect immersive entertainment, enhanced home broadband through 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), particularly in areas where fibre deployment may be challenging. “India is already seeing strong FWA demand, with nearly 1.7 crore connections from major operators by Q1 2026. Premium, differentiated services enabled by network slicing will allow users to access connectivity optimised for specific applications. For enterprises, the next phase of 5G creates opportunities far beyond faster connectivity including private and dedicated network capabilities that can help them digitise operations with greater security, reliability and performance. Network slicing and differentiated connectivity will allow businesses to purchase guaranteed levels of performance for mission-critical applications.”You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.