India to cross 1 billion 5G subscriptions by 2031, says Ericsson Mobility Report 2025

Ericsson’s November 2025 Mobility Report forecasts India’s 5G subscriptions to reach 394 million by end-2025 and surpass 1 billion by 2031, driven by soaring data consumption, expanding coverage, and rapid adoption of 5G Standalone and Fixed Wireless Access

India is on track to surpass 1 billion 5G subscriptions by 2031, reaching a penetration rate of 79 percent, according to the November 2025 edition of the Ericsson Mobility Report (EMR). The country is expected to end 2025 with 394 million 5G subscriptions, representing 32 percent of all mobile users.

“Mobile data traffic per active smartphone in India averages 36 GB per month, the highest in the world, and is projected to rise to 65 GB by 2031,” said Nitin Bansal, MD, Ericsson India. He added that affordable 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) equipment and growing home broadband usage are major contributors to this surge.

Global 5G growth strengthens, FWA and network slicing expand

Enhanced mobile broadband remains a core 5G use case globally, with subscriptions projected to exceed 6.4 billion by 2031, of which around 65 percent will be 5G Standalone (SA). In 2025 alone, global 5G subscriptions are expected to hit 2.9 billion, reflecting a 600 million year-on-year increase.

Coverage expansion continues, with 400 million more people gaining access to 5G in 2025. By the end of the year, about half the world’s population outside China will be covered. Mobile network data traffic rose 20 percent year-on-year in Q3 2025, driven primarily by India and mainland China.

5G networks are forecast to carry 43 percent of all mobile data by end-2025, rising to 83 percent by 2031. FWA adoption is accelerating, with 1.4 billion people expected to access FWA broadband globally by 2031—90 percent through 5G.

Rapid uptake of 5G SA and network slicing models

EMR researchers identified 159 service providers offering 5G-based FWA services, and a growing shift toward speed-based tariff models. The number of telecom operators adopting 5G Standalone networks continues to rise, with over 90 CSPs launching or soft-launching 5G SA—up by 30 operators compared to last year.

A total of 118 network slicing use cases have been documented across 56 CSPs, with 65 now in commercial deployment—21 of which were launched in 2025 alone. “Service providers are increasingly embracing 5G SA to offer differentiated connectivity based on value and quality, not just data volume,” said Erik Ekudden, Ericsson CTO.

Early signs of 6G on the horizon