Spotlight on Network Innovations | TelecomDrive.com
Since the launch of 5G in India October 2022, India has emerged as one of the leaders in 5G adoption, demonstrating exceptional momentum across all key metrics. The nation today has achieved 5G coverage in over 99% of districts while building one of the world’s largest 5G subscriber bases, with 5G users consuming an average of 40 GB of data per month, resulting in a 23% jump in total monthly mobile data traffic y-o-y in 2024 (Source: Nokia MBiT Index 2025). This rapid adoption is driving massive digital transformation nationwide.
India’s remarkable 5G journey exemplifies a broader global phenomenon reshaping connectivity worldwide. Data growth is accelerating at a remarkable pace across all markets, driven by three critical factors: proliferation of innovative digital services, rapid expansion of device ecosystem, and the surge in AI usage (Artificial Intelligence). According to Nokia Bell Labs report 2024, AI-driven traffic alone is projected to account for nearly 33% of global traffic by 2033.
This trend necessitates continuous network evolution beyond today’s capabilities. Future networks must be architected around four key pillars: value-centric design that delivers maximum benefits to users and businesses; intelligent and autonomous operations powered by AI; sustainable practices that minimize environmental impact while maximizing efficiency; and robust security frameworks that address emerging cyber threats in our hyperconnected world.
5G Advanced: The Intermediate Step
5G-Advanced represents the critical bridge toward 6G and beyond, enhancing network performance and unlocking new services and use cases. It will transform digital experiences, making them truly immersive and enabling seamless interaction with remote physical environments and people. With advancement in Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN), 5G Advanced will help extend connectivity to previously unserved regions, democratizing access to mobile connectivity and its economic benefits.
Thanks to its high-precision positioning, presence detection, and timing technologies, 5G Advanced will expand the network’s role beyond conventional services. Furthermore, it will advance existing capabilities such as network slicing and wireline-wireless convergence while introducing enhanced mobility features and exceptional operational performance. AI and ML (Machine Learning) will drive energy savings across radio access networks and core infrastructure, creating a more sustainable and economically viable connectivity.
6G: Transcending Communication Boundaries
However, 6G will be more than just a network. It will unleash a paradigm shift that transcends traditional networking boundaries. Rather than simply delivering faster connectivity, 6G will enable us to move between and interact with digital and physical realities, unlocking entirely new categories of services extending far beyond conventional communications. As AI and quantum technologies mature and become deeply integrated into networks, they will expand the network’s purpose and capabilities, delivering more intuitive, cyber-resilient, and environmentally sustainable connectivity that enhances productivity while transforming how we live, work, and care for our planet.
While smartphones will remain central to the 6G era, new man-machine interfaces will fundamentally transform how we consume and control information. Traditional touchscreen interactions will gradually get replaced by gesture recognition and voice control. The device landscape will evolve dramatically, with devices embedded into clothing, accessories, and even transforming to skin patches.
Energy efficiency will be a foundational pillar of 6G design to drive environmental benefits across multiple dimensions. By enabling ultra-efficient, cost-effective connectivity, 6G will support comprehensive data collection and closed-loop control of countless connected devices and industrial systems.
While 6G realization will unfold in phases, the foundation is being established today through strategic collaborations in research, standards development, and ecosystem creation.
At Nokia, we are doing more than anticipating the future—we are engineering it. Through strategic partnerships with major industry leaders and research institutions spanning continents—US (Next G Alliance, Brooklyn 6G Summit), Europe (Hexa-X-II, 6G-ANNA) and India (Bharat 6G Alliance)—we are establishing a unified strategic direction that will define the next era of connectivity and digital transformation with 6G.
The network revolution is just getting started!
Picture Courtesy: Pixabay.com
The article is published in the July 2025 issue of Disruptive Telecoms
