India's data use hits 31 GB/user as 5G traffic soars by 70%: Nokia

India's average mobile data use per user crossed 31 GB, with 5G traffic growing over 70% YoY to form 47% of total mobile traffic. The country is now the world's second-largest 5G market by subscribers and usage, as per a Nokia report.

India's average monthly mobile data consumption per user crossed the 31 GB mark as 5G traffic grew by more than 70 per cent year-on-year (YoY).

5G Dominates Data Traffic Growth

According to the 13th edition of the Nokia Mobile Broadband Index (MBiT) 2026, 5G technology now accounts for approximately 47 per cent of the total mobile broadband traffic in the country.

The report indicated that pan-India monthly 5G traffic reached 12.9 exabytes (EB) in 2025. The overall mobile data traffic in the country crossed 27 EB per month, supported by the continuous expansion of 5G coverage and the wider availability of affordable 5G-enabled smartphones.

The growth represented an 18 per cent compound annual growth rate in data consumption over the past five years, as users move toward high-definition video streaming, cloud gaming, and artificial intelligence applications.

India's Global 5G Leadership and Market Penetration

The Nokia MBiT Index projected that India's 5G subscriber base could exceed 1 billion by 2031. The report highlights that, "India's growing global leadership in 5G connectivity. The country now has the world's second largest 5G subscriber base and second highest level of 5G data consumption, underlining the scale and maturity of its digital ecosystem."

The report showed that while metro circles led this evolution, 5G penetration is also accelerating across Category A, B, and C circles. In metro markets, 5G now contributes 58 per cent of the total mobile data traffic, reflecting a substantial increase from previous periods.

Device Readiness and Future Network Demands

While the number of active 4G devices in India stood at 892 million, more than 383 million of these are already 5G capable. Furthermore, over 90 per cent of smartphones that ship during the year support 5G connectivity. This hardware readiness allows for more robust multi-band deployments and prepares the market for future network demands.

The Dawn of the AI Supercycle

The report also identified the beginning of an AI supercycle that is expected to reshape network traffic. As AI-enabled applications and immersive systems gain scale, networks require architectures capable of handling higher uplink demand and lower latency.

Vibha Mehra, Country Manager - Designate for India at Nokia, said, "India's mobile broadband landscape is entering a new phase of evolution, driven by rapid 5G adoption and the growing influence of AI-led applications. As networks transform to support new usage patterns and intelligent services, Nokia remains committed to partnering with telcos to build scalable, high-performance and future-ready connectivity infrastructure." (ANI)

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