India to surpass 1 billion 5G subscribers by 2031 as global coverage widens

According to a new Ericsson report, by 2025-end, India is expected to record 394 million 5G subscriptions, making up 32 per cent of all mobile subscriptions in the country

India is set to surpass 1 billion 5G subscriptions by the end of 2031, reaching 79 per cent penetration, according to Swedish telecom gear maker Ericsson’s Mobility Report 2025. By the end of this year alone, India is expected to record 394 million 5G subscriptions, making up 32 per cent of all mobile subscriptions in the country, it noted.

 

India remains one of the fastest-growing data markets worldwide, Ericsson said. Mobile data usage per active smartphone is 36 GB per month, the highest globally, and is projected to rise to 65 GB per month by 2031. The report attributed this surge to the rapid rollout of 5G networks, rising adoption of Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), and affordable 5G devices.

 

How fast is 5G adoption rising globally?

 

Globally, 5G subscriptions are expected to climb to 2.9 billion by the end of 2025, accounting for roughly one-third of all mobile subscriptions. The report further forecasted that global 5G subscriptions are set to reach 6.4 billion in 2031, making up about two-thirds of all mobile subscriptions. Of these, 4.1 billion (or 65 per cent) are expected to be 5G standalone (SA) subscriptions.

 

In this year alone, operators worldwide added 600 million new 5G subscriptions. The year also saw an additional 400 million people gain access to 5G coverage. By the end of this year, 50 per cent of the global population outside mainland China is expected to be covered by 5G, with coverage expanding to 85 per cent by 2031.

 

What is driving India’s FWA demand and data traffic surge?

 

The demand for 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) is rising sharply in India, the report noted, with high consumption levels and affordable customer premises equipment (CPE) being the key drivers behind the demand spur. Globally, FWA broadband is expected to serve 1.4 billion people by 2031, with 90 per cent delivered over 5G networks, it highlighted.

 

“5G is already serving as the critical infrastructure for driving digitalisation in the country,” said Nitin Bansal, MD, Ericsson India.

 

Meanwhile, mobile network data traffic grew 20 per cent year-on-year between Q3 2024 and Q3 2025, slightly above earlier projections. India and mainland China were the biggest contributors to this jump. By the end of 2025, 5G networks are expected to carry 43 per cent of all mobile data traffic, rising to 83 per cent by 2031.

 

How quickly are network slicing and 5G SA expanding?

 

The report further highlighted a rapid rise in 5G SA deployments. More than 90 communications service providers globally have launched or soft-launched SA networks, an addition of around 30 operators since last year.

 

Ericsson identified 118 instances across 56 operators where network slicing is being used to deliver differentiated connectivity. Of these, 65 have progressed to full commercial offerings. These range from guaranteed-latency gaming packages to enterprise-grade connectivity for critical communications.

 

After 5G, 6G on the horizon as well

 

The report also included early forecasts for 6G, with the first commercial deployments expected in front-runner markets such as the US, Japan, South Korea, China, India and GCC countries. Global 6G subscriptions are projected to touch 180 million by 2031, excluding AI-enabled IoT devices. Europe is expected to adopt 6G roughly a year later than other early markets, mirroring its slower transition to 5G SA.

 

The report noted that India’s accelerating shift to 5G, driven by rising data demand, expanding FWA usage and broad network coverage, will place it among the world’s largest 5G markets by 2031.