India’s Monthly Data Usage Surges to 27.5GB in 2024, Driven by 5G Expansion

India’s average monthly data consumption per user has surged to 27.5 gigabytes (GB) in 2024, marking a 19.5% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the past five years, according to Nokia’s annual Mobile Broadband Index (MBiT) report, released on Thursday.

The expansion of 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) has been a key factor in this growth, with FWA users consuming over 12 times more data than the average mobile user, particularly in residential and business sectors.

The report further highlights that 5G data traffic across India has tripled and is on track to surpass 4G traffic by the first quarter of 2026.

Tarun Chhabra, Senior Vice President and Country Head of Nokia India said, “We are committed to partnering with operators to meet the growing connectivity demand.”

The study reveals that Category B and C circles witnessed the highest growth in 5G data usage, expanding by 3.4 times and 3.2 times, respectively. In metro areas, 5G now accounts for 43% of mobile broadband data, a significant rise from 20% in 2023, as 4G usage continues to decline.

The 5G device ecosystem is also evolving rapidly, with the number of active 5G devices doubling year-on-year to reach 271 million in 2024. Additionally, nearly 90% of smartphones expected to be replaced in 2025 are projected to be 5G-capable.