India to surpass 1 billion 5G subscriptions by 2031: EMR

More than 1 billion 5G subscriptions are expected in India by the end of 2031, representing a 79 per cent penetration rate. The November 2025 Ericsson Mobility Report (EMR) forecasts that India will reach 394 million 5G subscriptions by the end of 2025, accounting for 32 per cent of all mobile subscriptions, reflecting rapid adoption across the country.

According to the report, mobile data usage per active smartphone in India currently stands at 36 GB per month, the highest in the world, and is projected to rise to 65 GB per month by 2031. Growth in 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), supported by affordable customer premises equipment and high data consumption among FWA users, is a key driver of this trend.

Globally, 5G subscriptions are expected to reach 6.4 billion by the end of 2031, accounting for around two-thirds of all mobile subscriptions. By the end of 2025, 5G subscriptions are forecast to reach 2.9 billion, an increase of approximately 600 million year-on-year. Coverage is also expanding: in 2025, an additional 400 million people worldwide gained access to 5G, and around half of the global population outside mainland China is expected to be covered by the end of the year.

Mobile network data traffic increased by 20 per cent between the third quarter of 2024 and the same period in 2025, a rise attributed largely to growth in mainland China and India. Traffic is projected to grow at an annual average rate of 16 per cent through to 2031. By the end of 2025, 5G networks are expected to carry 43 per cent of all mobile data, up from 34 per cent the previous year, and this share is forecast to rise to 83 per cent by 2031.

FWA continues to expand as a key 5G use case. The EMR estimates that around 1.4 billion people will be served by FWA broadband by the end of 2031, with 90 per cent of this delivered over 5G. Researchers identified 159 providers offering FWA over 5G, around 65 per cent of all FWA service providers, and a rise in speed-based pricing models, increasing from 43 per cent to 54 per cent since the November 2024 EMR.

The report also highlights the increasing number of communications service providers deploying 5G Standalone (5G SA) networks. More than 90 providers have launched or soft-launched 5G SA, about 30 more than the previous year. Researchers identified 118 cases across 56 providers where network slicing is being used to offer differentiated connectivity, with 65 of these having progressed to commercial services. Twenty-one of these commercial offerings were launched in 2025.

The November 2025 EMR introduces a new forecast period extending to 2031 and includes the first projections for commercial 6G. Early deployments are expected in markets such as the United States, Japan, South Korea, China, India and several Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

Global 6G subscriptions are forecast to reach 180 million by the end of 2031, excluding early adoption of AI-enabled IoT devices, with the figure likely to increase if commercial launches occur earlier than anticipated. Europe is expected to see 6G deployments around a year later than other frontrunner markets, partly due to comparatively slower rollout of 5G SA.

The 36-page report also includes three co-authored case studies examining 5G use cases: Singtel’s delivery of tailored experiences using 5G SA, SoftBank’s modernisation of enterprise IT using 5G, and SailGP’s application of 5G to enhance operations and viewer engagement.