India Set for 1 Billion 5G Users by 2031: Ericsson Report
India’s 5G revolution is accelerating at an unprecedented pace, with subscriptions projected to cross the one billion mark by 2031 according to the latest Ericsson Mobility Report. The nation already leads globally in mobile data consumption per smartphone, a figure set to nearly double from 36 GB to 65 GB per month.
Key Takeaways
- India to reach over 1 billion 5G subscriptions by 2031
- Mobile data usage per smartphone to hit 65 GB/month (from current 36 GB)
- 394 million 5G subscriptions already recorded by end of 2025
- Global 5G adoption to reach 6.4 billion by 2031
Rapid 5G Adoption and Data Growth
The report reveals India’s 5G subscriptions reached 394 million by the end of 2025, accounting for 32% of total mobile subscriptions. “The mobile data traffic per active smartphone in India stands at 36 GB per month, the highest in the world and is expected to grow to 65 GB per month by 2031,” stated Nitin Bansal, Managing Director of Ericsson India.
He emphasized that 5G already serves as critical infrastructure for driving digitalization across the country. The availability of affordable 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) equipment and high data consumption by FWA users are significantly fueling this growth.
Global 5G Landscape
Globally, 5G subscriptions are projected to reach 6.4 billion by 2031, representing two-thirds of all mobile subscriptions. About 4.1 billion of these subscriptions (65%) are forecast to be 5G standalone networks operating independently from 4G infrastructure.
Mobile network data traffic grew 20% between Q3 2024 and Q3 2025, driven primarily by mainland China and India. Continued growth is forecast at an annual average of 16% through 2031.
Fixed Wireless Access Expansion
Fixed Wireless Access continues to emerge as a major 5G use case, with about 1.4 billion people globally expected to access FWA broadband by 2031. Notably, 90% of these connections will be via 5G technology.
Network Innovation and Future Outlook
5G Standalone deployments have triggered growth in network slicing, where service providers guarantee quality of service through allocated network ‘slices’. Leading markets including the US, Japan, South Korea, China, India, and Gulf Cooperation Council countries are expected to drive initial 6G commercial launches.
Global 6G subscriptions are forecast to reach 180 million by 2031, excluding early AI-enabled IoT device adoption. This number could increase significantly if 6G launches earlier than anticipated.
