New Delhi, India — India is on track to surpass 1 billion 5G subscriptions by the end of 2031, according to a new report released Thursday. The forecast — part of the November 2025 edition of the Ericsson Mobility Report — suggests the country will reach 79 percent 5G penetration just three years after nationwide rollouts began.
The report identifies India as one of the world’s fastest-growing 5G markets. By the end of 2025, India is expected to reach 394 million 5G users, representing 32 percent of all mobile subscriptions in the country.
Ericsson India Managing Director Nitin Bansal said mobile data usage in India remains the highest globally, with average consumption at 36 GB per smartphone per month. This figure is projected to rise to 65 GB by 2031. He said widespread availability of affordable 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) equipment and consistently high data usage are key drivers of this growth.
Globally, the report predicts 6.4 billion 5G subscriptions by 2031 — about two-thirds of all mobile subscriptions. In 2025 alone, global 5G subscriptions are expected to reach 2.9 billion, increasing by 600 million over the year.
Network availability is also expanding rapidly, with 400 million more people expected to gain 5G access in 2025. By the end of that year, half of the global population outside mainland China will be covered by 5G services.
Mobile data traffic grew 20 percent between Q3 2024 and Q3 2025, driven primarily by India and China. By 2025, 5G networks will carry 43 percent of all mobile data traffic, a share expected to soar to 83 percent by 2031.
Fixed Wireless Access remains a major driver of 5G adoption. The Ericsson report estimates that 1.4 billion people will rely on FWA by 2031, with 90 percent of those connections on 5G networks. Currently, 159 service providers offer 5G-based FWA services, representing roughly 65 percent of all FWA operators worldwide. (Source: IANS)
