India is emerging as one of the world’s fastest-growing 5G markets, driven by strong demand for high-speed connectivity, widespread network deployment, and expanding use cases like Fixed Wireless Access (FWA).
By the end of 2024, India achieved over 95 percent 5G mid-band population coverage, placing it on par with North America and well ahead of many global regions, according to Ericsson Mobility Report June 2025.
The rapid rise in 5G adoption is supported by several key factors: surging mobile data demand, large-scale mid-band deployments, and strategic initiatives to expand affordable broadband access in rural and semi-urban areas. Service providers are accelerating 5G FWA rollouts to bridge the digital divide, with affordable customer premises equipment (CPE) further enhancing adoption.
Reliance Jio, a major player in India’s 5G expansion, reported an eightfold surge in 5G FWA connections — from March 2024 to March 2025 — reaching 5.6 million, with an ambitious goal to connect 100 million homes.
India’s 5G subscriptions are set to reach 980 million by 2030, accounting for nearly 75 percent of all mobile subscriptions. As of end-2024, the country had 290 million 5G users, making up 24 percent of its mobile base. India also leads globally in mobile data consumption, with current monthly smartphone data usage at 32 GB per user, projected to rise to 62 GB by 2030.
5G mid-band networks already cover 95 percent of the population, supported by strong data demand, mid-band spectrum availability, increased 5G smartphone penetration, and growing fixed wireless access (FWA) deployments. While 4G remains the most common subscription type at 53 percent in 2024, its share is expected to drop significantly to 230 million by 2030.
Regionally, 5G subscriptions across India, Nepal, and Bhutan totaled 290 million at the end of 2024, accounting for 24 percent of all mobile subscriptions. This number is expected to climb to 980 million by 2030, making up 75 percent of total subscriptions. In contrast, 4G — currently the dominant technology with 620 million subscriptions — is projected to decline to 230 million by 2030 as users transition to 5G.
India’s leadership in 5G rollout, particularly in mid-band spectrum deployment, has positioned it as a benchmark for other regions. While countries in the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America are still building mid-band infrastructure, India has already established near-universal population coverage, setting the stage for robust growth in mobile broadband and digital services.
Outlook
Total mobile data traffic in India, Nepal and Bhutan is expected to reach 58 EB per month in 2030 from 21 EB per month in 2023 and 25 EB per month in 2024.
5G subscriptions in India, Nepal and Bhutan is expected to reach 980 million in 2030 from 135 million in 2023 and 290 million in 2024.
4G subscriptions in India, Nepal and Bhutan is expected to reach 230 million in 2030 from 730 million in 2023 and 620 million in 2024.
Mobile data traffic per active smartphone in India, Nepal and Bhutan is expected to reach 62 GB per month in 2030 from 32 GB per month in 2024.
Mobile subscriptions in India, Nepal and Bhutan is expected to reach 1,310 million in 2030 from 1,180 million in 2023 and 1,190 million in 2024.
Smartphone subscriptions in India, Nepal and Bhutan is expected to reach 1130 million in 2030 from 880 million in 2023 and 920 million in 2024.
TelecomLead.com News Desk
