India is set to have more than 1.1 billion 5G subscriptions by the end of 2031, reaching approximately 81% subscription penetration, driven by affordable 5G devices, expanded network coverage, and growing Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) deployments, according to the June 2026 Ericsson Mobility Report (EMR).
The report notes that 5G subscriptions in India reached 430 million by the end of 2025, accounting for 35% of all mobile subscriptions. Meanwhile, 4G remained the largest mobile technology, representing 46% of subscriptions during the same period.
Ericsson forecasts a significant transition from 4G to 5G over the next six years. The company expects 4G subscriptions to decline from around 570 million in 2025 to approximately 160 million by 2031, as users increasingly migrate to 5G networks.
Indian smartphone users continue to rank among the world’s heaviest mobile data consumers. Average monthly mobile data consumption per smartphone reached 37 GB by the end of 2025 and is projected to nearly double to 70 GB by 2031. This trend is expected to further strengthen demand for higher-capacity networks and advanced digital services.
According to the report, the rapid growth in 5G adoption is being supported by the availability of affordable 5G-enabled smartphones, near-nationwide district-level 5G coverage, and the ongoing rollout of 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) services.
Commercial deployment of advanced 5G capabilities is also gaining momentum. Ericsson highlighted that an Indian telecom operator has launched differentiated connectivity offerings using 5G Standalone (SA) network slicing for postpaid customers. The development signals a shift from pilot projects and early trials toward mainstream commercial service packages.
The report further noted that the number of commercial network-slicing offerings worldwide increased from 65 in November 2025 to 84 in June 2026, reflecting broader industry-wide commercialization of advanced 5G services.
On the global front, 5G subscriptions surpassed 3.1 billion during the first quarter of 2026, after adding 162 million new subscriptions. Ericsson projects global 5G subscriptions to exceed 6.4 billion by 2031.
By the end of 2025, 5G networks carried 48% of total mobile data traffic worldwide, a figure expected to rise sharply to 85% by 2031. Ericsson also highlighted changing network usage patterns, noting that uplink traffic is growing faster than downlink traffic for many operators. This trend is being driven by collaboration platforms, user-generated content, cloud storage usage, and emerging AI-powered applications.
Looking beyond 5G, Ericsson emphasized the industry’s ongoing focus on 6G standardization. Early 6G specifications are expected to emerge by late 2028 or early 2029, with initial commercial deployments potentially beginning around 2030 in early-adopter markets such as the United States, China, Japan, South Korea, and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.
The report suggests that while 5G adoption continues to accelerate globally, the telecommunications industry is already laying the foundation for the next generation of mobile connectivity.
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