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

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. 

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.