November 21, 2025 : India is projected to surpass 1 billion 5G subscribers by 2031, with 5G penetration expected to reach nearly 79% of all mobile connections, according to Ericsson’s latest Mobility Report 2025. The report highlights a rapid expansion of next-generation connectivity in India driven by affordable 5G devices, expanding network coverage and rising data usage trends.
By the end of 2025, India is expected to record 394 million 5G subscriptions, representing more than 32% of the country’s active mobile connections.
Ericsson stated that India continues to remain one of the fastest-growing data markets globally. The report notes that average monthly mobile data consumption per active smartphone in India currently stands at 36GB—the highest globally—and is expected to rise to 65GB per month by 2031.
Algoritha: The Most Trusted Name in BFSI Investigations and DFIR Services
5G Adoption Momentum Strengthens Globally
The report indicates that global 5G subscriptions will reach 2.9 billion users by the end of 2025, accounting for nearly one-third of global mobile subscriptions. By 2031, that number is projected to grow to 6.4 billion, representing nearly 66% of all mobile connections.
Out of these future connections, nearly 4.1 billion (65%) will be 5G Standalone (SA) subscriptions supporting advanced digital infrastructure such as cloud-native networks, IoT deployments, private 5G networks and enterprise automation.
In 2025 alone, mobile operators globally added 600 million new 5G users, while over 400 million people worldwide gained first-time access to 5G coverage.
By the end of the year, nearly 50% of the world’s population — excluding China — is expected to be under 5G network coverage, a number expected to rise to 85% by 2031.
Why India’s FWA and Data Traffic Are Surging
The report highlights a sharp rise in demand for 5G-powered Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), especially across tier-2 and tier-3 cities in India. This growth is largely driven by:
- High internet usage at household level
- Availability of affordable FWA Customer Premises Equipment (CPE)
- Growing demand for streaming, gaming and cloud applications
Globally, by 2031, nearly 1.4 billion broadband users are expected to be connected using FWA, with 90% of these connections riding on 5G networks.
Mobile Network Traffic Rising Faster Than Forecast
Mobile network data traffic grew 20% between Q3 2024 and Q3 2025, slightly ahead of earlier forecasts. India and China remain the biggest contributors to this surge.
By the end of 2025, around 43% of global mobile data traffic is expected to run on 5G networks. This share is projected to reach 83% by 2031, indicating a shift toward high-capacity next-generation networks.
Industry View
Commenting on the findings, Nitin Bansal, Managing Director, Ericsson India, said:
“5G has become a foundational technology for India’s digital transformation and will continue accelerating innovation across sectors.”
