5G data usage in India has nearly doubled in 2025, rapidly narrowing the gap with 4G and reshaping the country’s wireless data landscape. The latest quarterly data from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India shows that while 4G continues to dominate in total volumes, 5G is capturing a significant and fast-growing share of mobile data traffic.
5G Data Usage Nearly Doubles in One Year
5G data consumption has recorded strong quarter-on-quarter growth throughout 2025:
December 2024: 15,082 PB
March 2025: 17,815 PB
June 2025: 20,903 PB
September 2025: 24,064 PB
December 2025: 29,094 PB
5G usage rose from 15,082 petabytes in December 2024 to 29,094 petabytes in December 2025, marking an increase of around 93 percent year on year. The surge reflects wider 5G coverage, accelerating smartphone upgrades, and higher demand for bandwidth-intensive applications such as HD video streaming, gaming, and cloud-based services.
4G Data Usage Remains Stable but Growth Slows
In comparison, 4G data usage remained relatively stable during the same period:
December 2024: 41,616 PB
March 2025: 41,424 PB
June 2025: 43,926 PB
September 2025: 44,861 PB
December 2025: 44,087 PB
Although 4G traffic peaked at 44,861 PB in September 2025, it declined slightly to 44,087 PB by December 2025. This suggests that incremental data growth is increasingly shifting toward 5G networks rather than 4G.
5G vs 4G: Share of Total Wireless Data
Total wireless data usage increased from 69,090 PB in the quarter ended September 2025 to 73,324 PB in the quarter ended December 2025, registering a quarterly growth rate of 6.13 percent.
Out of the total 73,324 PB consumed in Q.E. December 2025:
4G: 44,087 PB
5G: 29,094 PB
3G: 95 PB
2G: 48 PB
In percentage terms:
4G share: 60.13 percent
5G share: 39.68 percent
3G share: 0.13 percent
2G share: 0.07 percent
This means 5G now carries nearly two-thirds of the data volume handled by 4G, a significant milestone given the relatively recent nationwide rollout of 5G services.
Wireless Subscriber Growth Fuels Data Demand
The number of wireless data subscribers increased from 961.08 million at the end of September 2025 to 1,018.59 million at the end of December 2025.
Total wireless subscribers, including mobile and FWA, reached 1,258.77 million, up 6.47 percent over the previous quarter. The composition includes:
Wireless mobile subscribers: 1,244.20 million
Wireless 5G FWA plus UBR FWA subscribers: 14.57 million
Urban subscribers stood at 720.15 million, while rural subscribers were 538.62 million, indicating strong adoption across both markets.
ARPU and Data Monetization Trends
Monthly ARPU for wireless services rose from Rs.190.99 in Q.E. September 2025 to Rs.194.57 in Q.E. December 2025, reflecting a quarterly growth of 1.87 percent and a year-on-year increase of 7.03 percent.
Pre-paid ARPU: Rs.194.12
Post-paid ARPU: Rs.199.05
Average wireless data usage per subscriber reached 25.70 GB per month, while average revenue realization per GB stood at Rs.7.87, highlighting continued affordability despite higher 5G consumption.
5G Accelerates Structural Shift in India’s Data Market
The sharp rise in 5G data usage, alongside stable 4G volumes, signals a structural shift in India’s telecom ecosystem. While 4G remains the backbone of mobile broadband with over 60 percent share, 5G’s rapid climb to nearly 40 percent of total wireless data traffic within a short span underscores accelerating migration.
With continued 5G network expansion, fixed wireless access deployments, and increasing enterprise use cases, 5G is poised to further close the gap with 4G in 2026. The latest data confirms that India’s wireless growth story is increasingly being driven by 5G, even as 4G continues to support the majority of users.
BABURAJAN KIZHAKEDATH
