New Delhi: India is on course to become one of the world's largest 5G markets, with subscriptions expected to cross 1.1 billion by 2031, according to the latest Ericsson Mobility Report.
The report estimates that 5G will account for 81 percent of all mobile subscriptions in the country by the end of the decade. As of the end of 2025, India had around 430 million 5G subscriptions, representing 35 percent of total mobile connections.
The rapid expansion is being driven by wider network availability, affordable 5G-enabled smartphones and growing adoption of Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) services. Ericsson noted that 5G coverage has now expanded to almost all districts across the country, helping accelerate user migration from older technologies.
India also continues to lead the world in mobile data consumption per smartphone. Average monthly data usage, currently estimated at 37 GB per user, is projected to rise to around 70 GB by 2031 as video streaming, cloud applications and high-bandwidth digital services become more common.
While 4G remains the largest mobile technology segment with a 46 percent share, its subscriber base is expected to decline sharply over the next several years. The report projects that 4G subscriptions will fall from about 570 million in 2025 to nearly 160 million by 2031 as users increasingly shift to 5G networks.
The report also highlighted changing network usage patterns, noting that uplink traffic is growing faster than downlink traffic for many telecom operators, in some cases at a significantly higher pace.
Commenting on the trend, Ericsson India Managing Director Nitin Bansal said, "The robust and secure 5G infrastructure in the country is driving inclusion, governance, and innovation at scale and is serving as a powerful foundation for Digital India."
Ericsson also pointed to the recent launch of differentiated connectivity services based on network slicing by an Indian telecom operator for its postpaid 5G customers, describing it as an indication of the next phase of advanced 5G applications in the country.
Globally, 5G subscriptions crossed 3.1 billion during the first quarter of 2026 after the addition of 162 million new users. Ericsson expects the global 5G subscriber base to more than double to 6.4 billion by 2031.
According to the report, 390 telecom service providers worldwide have launched commercial 5G services so far, with more than 90 offering 5G Standalone networks. By the end of 2031, 5G is expected to carry 85 percent of global mobile data traffic, up from 48 percent at the end of 2025.
BI Bureau
