New Delhi

India’s average monthly mobile data consumption per user has crossed 31 GB, driven by rapid expansion in 5G adoption, according to the latest report by Nokia.

The 13th edition of the Nokia Mobile Broadband Index (MBiT) 2026 revealed that 5G now accounts for nearly 47 per cent of the country’s total mobile broadband traffic, with usage growing more than 70 per cent year-on-year.

Pan-India monthly 5G data traffic reached 12.9 exabytes (EB) in 2025, while overall mobile data traffic exceeded 27 EB per month. This growth has been fuelled by expanding 5G network coverage and the increasing availability of affordable 5G-enabled smartphones.

The report noted an 18 per cent compound annual growth rate in data consumption over the past five years, as users increasingly shift towards high-bandwidth activities such as high-definition video streaming, cloud gaming, and artificial intelligence-driven applications.

Highlighting future trends, the report projected that India’s 5G subscriber base could surpass 1 billion by 2031. It also underscored India’s rising global standing, with the country now having the world’s second-largest 5G subscriber base and data consumption levels.

While metro cities continue to lead adoption, 5G penetration is expanding rapidly across smaller towns and regions. In metro areas, 5G already contributes 58 per cent of total mobile data traffic.

On the device front, India currently has around 892 million active 4G devices, of which over 383 million are 5G-capable. Additionally, more than 90 per cent of smartphones shipped in the country now support 5G, indicating strong readiness for future network demands.

The report also pointed to the emergence of an “AI supercycle,” which is expected to significantly reshape data usage patterns. As AI-powered applications and immersive technologies gain traction, telecom networks will need to support higher uplink demand and lower latency.

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Commenting on the findings, Vibha Mehra, Country Manager-designate for India at Nokia, said India’s mobile broadband ecosystem is entering a new phase, driven by 5G and AI-led innovations, with a growing need for scalable and future-ready network infrastructure.