Science, Discovery, Tech and Environment · 17 January 2026
India becomes world’s 2nd largest 5G user base with 400 million+ subscribers
Exam-focused facts from the 17 January 2026 current affairs briefing.
Key facts
- India today stands as the world's second-largest 5G subscriber base with over 400 million users.
- 5G services are now available across the country with a major base of 99.6% and population coverage of 85%.
- 4.69 lakh 5G Base Transceiver Stations have been installed by Telecom Service Providers across India.
- India crossed 100 crore internet connections, registering a growth of 298.77% since March 2014.
- Rural telephone connections grew 42.9%, rising from 377.78 million in March 2014 to 539.83 million in September 2025.
- India became the 5th country to have its own 4G stack upgradable to 5G, developed in just 2 years.