1 Ericsson Mobility Report | June 2024

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mobility-report

Ericsson
Mobility Report
June 2025
2 Ericsson Mobility Report | June 2025

Letter from the publisher

Ecosystem collaboration drives innovation

We are at an inflection point, where 5G deploying 5G SA and to further build out as service providers capitalize on its
and the ecosystem are set to unleash a mid-band sites. 5G SA capabilities serve as flexible and rapid deployment capabilities,
wave of innovation. a catalyst for driving new business growth offering extensive coverage and an
In this Ericsson Mobility Report, we opportunities. exceptional user experience, compared
explore how an ecosystem partner is An increasing number of service to other technologies.
leveraging 5G, network slicing and providers are now leveraging the new Finally, we explore the impact of
dynamic Quality of Service (QoS) that will capabilities that SA brings by offering increased usage of GenAI on the consumer
take live broadcasting to a new level, by differentiated connectivity services to side, as it moves from text to voice, video
ensuring seamless, high-quality video consumers, enterprises and society. and multimodal. We analyze how GenAI
streaming – even in crowded In this edition, a leading service provider could impact mobile data traffic volumes
environments. The recent advancements demonstrates how it launched 5G SA, and characteristics going forward.
in 5G standalone (SA) networks, coupled alongside carrier aggregation to Differentiated connectivity will be key in
with the progress in 5G-enabled devices, enhance user experience and change enabling a high-quality user experience
have led to an ecosystem poised to unlock its go-to-market strategy. for these and other conversational
transformative opportunities for On the forecast side, we see continued applications. There will be no personal
connected creativity. mobile network traffic growth with AI without mobile.
Service providers have recognized this a 20 percent increase year-on-year, I trust that you will find this report
potential of 5G and are beginning to meaning it’s expected to more than engaging, and that it offers valuable insights
monetize it through innovative service double in five years. Fixed Wireless Access as we enter the next wave of mobile.
offerings that extend beyond merely is experiencing robust growth and is
selling data plans. To fully realize the projected to make up over 35 percent of all Erik Ekudden
potential of 5G, it is essential to continue new fixed broadband connections by 2030, Senior Vice President and
Chief Technology Officer

Contents
Forecasts Articles

04 5G to account for one-third of 16 GenAI’s impact on network Executive Editor: Peter Jonsson
mobile subscriptions in 2025 data traffic today Project Sponsor: Patrik Cerwall
05 GenAI devices drive development 17 Quantifying the future impact Project Manager: Anette Lundvall
despite market difficulties of GenAI Forecasts: David von Koch
06 Growth in 5G subscriptions 20 5G standalone launch strategy: Writer Editor: Steven Davis
seen globally More than a network upgrade
08 Quarterly mobile network data 23 Mobile video conferencing Co-writers:
traffic update challenges 5G coverage Reza Rahnama (BT Group)
09 Growth of mobile network data 24 A new era for connected creativity Takayoshi Hirasawa (Sony)
traffic persists and entertainment Daisuke Yamada (Sony)
11 Europe makes progress in 5G 27 Enhancing connectivity beyond
mid-band coverage best effort Contributors:
12 Majority offer speed-based FWA 30 Significant shift in mobile Jari Arkko, Mats Arvedson,
14 5G FWA and fiber to capture most traffic patterns Michael Axelsson, Jan Backman,
growth through 2030 Greger Blennerud, Mats Blomgren,
32 Methodology Mischa Dohler, Lisa Englund,
33 Glossary Nikit Gangwani, Elmar Hajizada,
34 Global and regional key figures Raquel Herranz, Josip Jelić,
Doroteja Kobescak, Aziz Koleilat,
Ivan Komljenović, Per Lindberg,
Reiner Ludwig, Marcelo Malizia, Frank Muller,
Carin Omurcali, Christoper Price, John Yazlle
Forecasts
5G subscriptions are growing apace, accounting for over one-quarter of total mobile
subscriptions at the end of 2024. 5G mid-band population coverage continues
to grow, though it varies between global regions, only recently passing 50 percent
coverage in Europe. 5G mid-band is ideal for providing both capacity and coverage,
and therefore enhancing user experience. Mobile network data traffic continues
to grow, but with a declining year-on-year growth rate, resulting in a forecast
CAGR of 17 percent through 2030. As 5G evolves, service providers are increasingly
exploring innovative use cases and new monetization opportunities by offering
differentiated connectivity services.

At the end of 2025, 5G is set to account for one-third 5G mid-band coverage in Europe reached 50 percent
of global mobile subscriptions. at the end of 2024.

FWA is projected to account for over 35 percent of 5G subscriptions are forecast to reach 6.3 billion
new fixed broadband connections through 2030. by the end of 2030.
4 Ericsson Mobility Report | June 2025

5G to account for
one-third of mobile
subscriptions in 2025
During the first quarter of 2025, 145 million 5G subscriptions
were added, bringing the total to just above 2.4 billion.

5G subscription uptake continues apace At the end of 2024, the number of 5G Two-thirds of all mobile
and is expected to reach close to 2.9 billion subscriptions reached 2.3 billion globally, subscriptions expected to be
at the end of 2025, accounting for one-third equaling a penetration of around 5G at the end of 2030
of all mobile subscriptions at that time. 27 percent. The highest 5G subscriptions Global 5G subscriptions are forecast to
The number of 4G subscriptions continues penetration was in North America at reach 6.3 billion in 2030, and will make
to decline as subscribers migrate to 5G. 71 percent, followed by North East Asia up two-thirds of all mobile subscriptions.
4G declined by 55 million during the first at 52 percent, the Gulf Cooperation Council Leading service providers continue
quarter of 2025, bringing the total to just (GCC) countries at 45 percent and to deploy SA networks, and 5G SA
below 4.9 billion. 3G subscriptions declined Western Europe at 41 percent. 5G is subscriptions are projected to account
by 19 million during the quarter, while anticipated to overtake 4G as the dominant for close to 3.7 billion in 2030.
2G subscriptions dropped by 30 million. mobile access technology by subscription in It is projected that Western Europe
2G and 3G network sunsetting 2027, nine years after launch. will have the highest 5G subscription
continues around the world. The phasing More than 340 service providers penetration in 2030 at 93 percent,
out of 3G networks is anticipated to have now launched commercial 5G followed closely by North America at
happen more quickly than that of 2G in services, and around 70 have deployed 91 percent and the GCC at 90 percent.
the coming years, but the timeline for this or launched 5G standalone (SA).1
transition varies based on country and
service provider.

Figure 1: Mobile subscriptions by technology (billion) 5G subscriptions are forecast to

reach 6.3 billion by the end of 2030.

6.3
8.7 9.4
10 billion billion

7
bn
6

4
6G
3 5G
LTE/TD-LTE
2
WCDMA/HSPA
GSM
1
TD-SCDMA

0 CDMA
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030

1
GSA and Ericsson (May 2025).
5 Ericsson Mobility Report | June 2025

GenAI devices drive

development despite
market difficulties
As generative AI (GenAI) devices proliferate and AI apps
become increasingly complex, both application service
providers and communication service providers will
need to focus more on uplink capabilities and latency.

2025 began with positive traction in the application service providers and Commercial traction for RedCap
market, with 1.5 percent quarterly growth communication service providers. RedCap device availability is increasing,
in smartphone shipments.1 However, recent The final success of AI will be determined with dongle and pocket router form factors
tariff volatility has created market concern. by its perceived value by users. currently dominating. Multiple suppliers have
Smartphone growth is now predicted In addition to GenAI, there is also the announced launches of RedCap-powered
to be flat, or even negative, for the year. potential that a device can make better use cameras and wearables later in 2025.
The renewal cycle is expected to increase of network resources and vice versa. Competition between chipset vendors is
in length, despite hopes for the AI This area is being explored by the 3GPP driving substantial device cost reductions.
super-renewal cycle. Release 19 study item for AI/machine In the future, enhanced RedCap
learning mobility. (eRedCap), a 5G IoT offering, will enable
A long-anticipated new chipset use cases that today rely on LTE Cat-1
After six years of development, a new AI and smart glasses technologies or even LTE Cat-M. This
in-house smartphone chipset has emerged. AI is also being integrated into extended technology is expected to reach a price
The chipset power balance is up for a reset reality (XR) and augmented reality (AR) point under USD 10 and become available
where the four major suppliers battle for glasses. Lightweight AR glasses with from 2027, becoming an important
market share. In China, the incumbent AI support must resemble regular glasses, stepping stone to move subscribers from 4G
chipset suppliers are increasing their judging by the top-selling AR glasses to 5G networks before 6G begins taking off.
market share domestically and aspire to in the market.
expand internationally. The usefulness of AR glasses in wide Vendors preparing for
area networks powered by AI is increasing, differentiated connectivity
GenAI in smartphones, year two using audio interaction with the user. The Progress on differentiated connectivity
GenAI continues to be a significant selling next step is adding simpler screens to the using User equipment Route Selection
point for smartphones. Efforts are being glasses, used for everyday applications like Policy (URSP) is notable. Major smartphone
made to expand AI beyond the high-end text messaging or navigation. The use of a vendors have advanced their network
segment to enable the services for a broader companion device, such as a smartphone, slicing capabilities to take advantage of
market. With the growth of AI applications connectivity puck or dongle, is expected slices offered by service providers. 5G SA
and model complexity, tasks will be to continue. 5G standalone (SA) – or even growth will provide an even larger
computed both on the device and in the reduced capability (RedCap) – will allow for foundation for adoption and additional use
network. This will put uplink capabilities versatile slices for different consumer needs. cases for both enterprises and consumers.
and latency more into the focus of both

Figure 2: 5G SA technology area readiness on device

5G SA 5G NSA/SA
Legacy 2025 2026 2027->
< 100 100–150 > 150
SA enablement​
SA roaming

Audible​
AR glasses​ Screens Simple High performance
Connectivity Companion device RedCap potential
Differentiated connectivity:​ Slicing via URSP QoD network APIs
Business and consumer ​
RedCap​ RedCap
Reduced capability​
eRedCap​ eRedCap

AI on smartphones​ Ultra premium (USD +1,000) Premium (USD +600)

Note: This is not Ericsson’s roadmap. Readiness means more than one infrastructure and device vendor is ready. This can include competitors to Ericsson and devices.​
1
IDC (April 2025).
6 Ericsson Mobility Report | June 2025

Growth in 5G subscriptions
seen globally

In both North America and North East Asia, the 5G

subscription penetration rate has exceeded 50 percent.

Figure 3: Mobile subscriptions by region and technology (percent)

5G LTE (4G) WCDMA/HSPA (3G) GSM/EDGE-only (2G) CDMA-only (2G/3G)

2024 2030 2024 2030 2024 2030 2024 2030 2024 2030 2024 2030 2024 2030 2024 2030 2024 2030 2024 2030

41% 31% 9% 49% 57% 60% 61% 24% 75% 52% 85% 45% 90% 71% 91% 47%
41% 93%
85%
78% 72% 67%

53%
37%

57%
44% 48%
45%
41% 42%
29% 37%
29%
17%
13%
13% 14%
8% 6% 9% 7%
Sub- South East Central and Latin Middle East India, North East Gulf North Western
Saharan Asia and Eastern America and North Nepal and Asia Cooperation America Europe
Africa Oceania Europe Africa1 Bhutan Council

Sub-Saharan Africa 40 percent of these are expected to be Singapore and Australia continue to stand
The economy in Sub-Saharan Africa 5G subscriptions, reflecting the growing out as advanced 5G markets. In Singapore,
is forecast to expand by 3 to 5 percent consumer demand and the evolving differentiated connectivity is moving from
annually over the next 5 years,2 even as mobile ecosystem. proof-of-concept to commercial consumer
it continues to navigate macroeconomic Service providers are increasingly offerings – positioning Singapore as
challenges. The telecoms sector continues diversifying their offerings, with a strong a leading market for monetizing 5G
to drive growth, fueled by a young focus on fintech – mobile money services experiences. In Australia, FWA on 5G
population, wider access to affordable in particular – and Fixed Wireless Access standalone (SA) is now available across all
smartphones, and a rising demand for (FWA), aimed at boosting connectivity major service providers, but other consumer
mobile data and digital services. for both households and businesses. applications are still emerging.
The ongoing rollout of 4G and the early The sector’s resilience and long-term In Thailand, 5G has become a
stages of 5G deployment are expected to momentum will hinge on ongoing significant driver of data consumption
gradually phase out legacy technologies. infrastructure developments and and increased ARPU. Vietnam is steadily
2G and 3G subscriptions are anticipated supportive regulatory environments. advancing, having launched services in
to decline annually by 5 and 10 percent October 2024, with three service providers
respectively over the forecast period. In South East Asia and Oceania now providing 5G. Subscription growth in
2030, 4G is set to account for 37 percent 5G subscriptions in the region are forecast Malaysia has been aided by 5G network
of all mobile subscriptions, while 5G is to reach around 630 million in 2030. expansion to rural areas, increasing
expected to grow significantly to around This has been adjusted from the figure availability of 5G devices, and growing
400 million subscriptions. reported six months ago to account for consumer demand for faster and more
Smartphone adoption continues to delayed 5G spectrum in Indonesia, which reliable mobile connectivity.
accelerate, with subscriptions projected to accounts for the biggest mobile subscriber
rise to 890 million in 2030. Notably, around base regionally.

1
All Middle East and North Africa figures include GCC countries.
2
IMF, “World Economic Outlook” (April 2025).
7 Ericsson Mobility Report | June 2025

Central and Eastern Europe broadband offerings. Service providers Service providers are transitioning
Technology adoption and subscription are continuously working to enhance from traditional telcos to digital service
uptake has historically been slower here network capacity while minimizing energy providers. This is enabled by extensive
than in Western Europe. 5G deployment consumption and their carbon footprint – 5G deployment and the adoption of
varies by country, partly due to slower where modernization is key to meeting technologies such as AI, cloud computing
spectrum allocation processes. However, business goals and reducing energy costs and edge solutions. Network slicing,
the region has seen several accelerated for net zero ambitions. supported by programmable networks
5G deployments, driven by growing and open APIs, is expected to be
demand. For example, Croatia leverages India, Nepal and Bhutan a cornerstone in delivering customized
5G for tourism and smart cities, while 5G in 5G adoption in India is growing rapidly. and performance-sensitive services.
Hungary is going beyond the smartphone to This growth is fueled by growing demand From 2024 to 2030, mobile subscriptions
the automotive sector and other use cases. for data, 5G population coverage of over in GCC countries are expected to grow at an
5G subscriptions grew by 70 percent to 90 percent, and large 5G FWA annual rate of 3 percent, reaching 95 million.
reach 31 million during 2024. deployments. Strong need for accessible Subscriptions for legacy network
4G is currently the dominant technology broadband in rural and semi-urban areas is generations will decline sharply as users
and accounted for 85 percent of all driving Indian service providers to expand migrate to next-generation connectivity.
subscriptions at the end of 2024. It is their 5G FWA footprints. Availability of By the end of the decade, 5G subscriptions
estimated this share will decline after a affordable 5G FWA customer premises are expected to comprise 90 percent of all
peak in 2025 as subscribers migrate to 5G. equipment (CPE) is also driving growth mobile subscriptions, totaling 86 million.
of 5G FWA, which will help bridge the FWA adoption is driven by demand for
Latin America digital divide. Regionally, 5G subscriptions high-speed alternatives to fixed broadband
4G is still the dominant technology, although reached 290 million at the end of 2024, and national initiatives aimed at reaching
it has started to decline as subscribers accounting for 24 percent of total mobile underserved areas and supporting smart
migrate to 5G. At the end of 2024, 4G subscriptions. 5G subscriptions are city ambitions.
accounted for 72 percent of all subscriptions. expected to reach around 980 million by
5G spectrum auctions continue across the end of 2030, accounting for 75 percent North America
Latin America. In January 2025, Costa Rica of mobile subscriptions. 4G is currently the During 2025, 5G adoption is expected
concluded its 5G tender, with seven service dominant subscription type, accounting to continue to grow robustly, with
providers participating. Countries such as for around 53 percent of total mobile an anticipated additional 42 million
El Salvador and Paraguay are expected to subscriptions. 4G subscriptions are subscriptions during the year leading
launch their bidding process in the third forecast to decline from 620 million in to a total of 358 million. In 2030, 5G
quarter of 2025, with Mexico postponing 2024 to 230 million in 2030, as subscribers subscriptions are expected to reach
until the end of 2025. Peru also expects migrate to 5G. 440 million, accounting for 91 percent
to conclude its 5G auction in 2025. of all mobile subscriptions at that time.
During 2024, the number of 5G North East Asia Leading service providers in the US
subscriptions almost doubled, reaching Globally, the region had the second-highest anticipate continued growth for FWA
around 63 million at the end of the year. 5G subscription penetration at 52 percent and are introducing new capabilities
By the end of 2030, the number of 5G at the end of 2024. In mainland China, the with network slicing and 5G Advanced.
subscriptions is expected to reach number of 5G subscriptions now exceeds Mid-band 5G network coverage has now
480 million and account for 60 percent 1 billion. 5G Advanced is becoming more reached a point at which consumers,
of all mobile subscriptions. widely available, including functionalities enterprises, and government innovations
such as reduced capability (RedCap) and across the broader tech ecosystem can
Middle East and North Africa high-order carrier aggregation. In Japan, accelerate. The innovations are created
The telecom sector across the region service providers are expanding investments at the intersection of mobile, cloud and AI.
continues to show resilience in the face of in areas such as AI to drive future
ongoing global economic uncertainty and monetization. In South Korea, even with Western Europe
geopolitical complexities. Regional efforts very high average 5G throughput already, 5G subscription growth is strong, rising
to diversify economies and drive digital there are ongoing efforts by service from 142 million in 2023 to 227 million
transformation are helping to stabilize the providers to improve user satisfaction by at the end of 2024, equaling a penetration
sector and sustain investment momentum. addressing regional speed disparities and of 41 percent, but this varies between
Mobile subscriptions are projected to grow enhancing quality in crowded areas. countries. Markets such as the UK and
at an annual rate of 2 percent up to 2030, In Hong Kong, the implementation of FWA Finland, which launched 5G early, have
reaching a total of 820 million. Notably, has had a positive impact on service already achieved high penetration relative
5G subscriptions are forecast to rise with providers’ financial performances. In to other markets. 4G is expected to
a CAGR of around 40 percent over Taiwan, service providers have begun decline in favor of 5G going forward.
the period, signaling a major shift in how testing differentiated connectivity offerings 5G subscriptions are anticipated to reach
users engage with digital services – in specific segments (such as live around 530 million at the end of 2030,
from mobile financial tools to telehealth entertainment), with commercial 5G SA representing 93 percent penetration at that
platforms and e-learning ecosystems. services expected to launch within time, in line with other leading 5G markets.
In 2030, 4G is anticipated to make the next 1–2 years. 5G mid-band and SA are gaining traction
up 37 percent of mobile connections, in the region, with leading service providers
while 5G is set to dominate with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) exploring new offerings based on
61 percent of the total connections. The region, while small in terms of differentiated connectivity in areas such
5G FWA is also gaining traction as subscribers, is notable for its high as payment terminals, live broadcasting
a key enabler of next-generation penetration, high levels of urbanization and photojournalism.
connectivity, complementing traditional and robust consumer spending power.
 8 Ericsson Mobility Report | June 2025

Quarterly mobile network

data traffic update

Mobile network data traffic grew 19 percent

between Q1 2024 and Q1 2025.

The quarter-on-quarter mobile network Mobile data traffic growth is being driven Figure 4 shows the total global monthly
data traffic growth between Q4 2024 by both rising smartphone subscriptions network data traffic from Q1 2018 to
and Q1 2025 was around 5 percent. and increasing average data volume per Q1 2025, along with year-on-year
Total monthly global mobile network subscription, fueled primarily by increased percentage growth for mobile network
data traffic reached 172 EB. viewing of video content. At the end data traffic.
of 2024, video traffic accounted for
74 percent of all mobile data traffic.

Figure 4: Global mobile network data traffic and year-on-year growth

Data Year-on-year growth

200 100

180 90

160 80
Total (uplink + downlink) traffic (EB per month)

140 70
Year-on-year growth (percent)

120 60

100 50

80 40

60 30

40 20

20 10

0 0
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025

Note: Mobile network data traffic also includes traffic generated by Fixed Wireless Access services.
9 Ericsson Mobility Report | June 2025

Growth of mobile network

data traffic persists

Mobile network data traffic continues to grow, but with

a declining year-on-year growth rate to 15 percent in 2030.
This results in a CAGR of 17 percent over the full forecast period.

Total global mobile data traffic – excluding 5G’s share of mobile data traffic reached • The pace of subscriber migration to later
traffic generated by Fixed Wireless Access 35 percent at the end of 2024, increased generations in populous markets like
(FWA) – is expected to grow by a factor of from 26 percent at the end of 2023. This share India, Latin America, South East Asia
around 2.3 to reach 280 EB per month in is forecast to grow to 80 percent in 2030. and Africa.
2030. When FWA is included, total mobile • The uptake rate of new devices, such as
network data traffic is anticipated to grow Factors that can impact the traffic those built for augmented reality (AR),
by a factor of around 2.6, rising to 430 EB per Mobile data traffic growth can be highly and scalable, multimodal generative
month by the end of the forecast period. volatile and vary significantly between AI (GenAI) applications.1 The current
This is a slight reduction to our network years, regions, markets and service predicted traffic growth up to 2030
traffic volume forecast up to 2030, compared providers, depending on local market includes an assumption that an initial
to our estimate 6 months ago, based on new dynamics. Factors that could impact traffic uptake of extended reality (XR) services,
incoming data points from major markets. growth include: including AR, VR and mixed reality (MR),
will happen in the latter part of the
forecast period. However, if adoption
Figure 5: Global mobile network data traffic (EB per month)
is accelerated, data traffic could
FWA (4G/5G) Mobile data (5G) Mobile data (2G/3G/4G)
significantly surpass our current traffic
outlook at the end of the forecast period.
500 • Changes to the split between FWA and
mobile data traffic when FWA
connections grow. With continued strong
450 FWA uptake in parts of the world where
fixed broadband connections have been
limited, it is likely that household-based
400
traffic will move from smartphones to
FWA – especially for streaming services.
350
• Tariff plans and available services.
• Continued improvements in the
performance of deployed networks.
300 • Smartphone shipment development.
• Global macroeconomic changes such
as inflation and interest rates, causing
250 a significant impact on consumer
willingness to pay for mobile services
and affecting mobile data usage.
200

150

100

50

0
2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030

1
Quantifying the future impact of GenAI, page 17.
10 Ericsson Mobility Report | June 2025

Figure 6: Mobile data traffic per active smartphone2 (GB per month) CAGR
2024–
Regions 2024 2030 2030
70

India, Nepal
32 62 11%
and Bhutan
65

60 Western Europe 22 47 13%

55 Gulf Cooperation
Council 29 45 8%

50
Middle East and
19 43 15%
North Africa3
45

North America 22 43 12%

40

Central and
35 20 40 13%
Eastern Europe

30
South East Asia
19 38 12%
and Oceania

25

Global average 19 37 11%

20

North East Asia 20 36 10%

15

10 Latin America 13 29 14%

5
Sub-Saharan Africa 5 14 19%

0
2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030

The growth in mobile data traffic Traffic patterns differ by location 5G accounted for 35 percent
per smartphone can be attributed to Insights from an analysis of data traffic of mobile data traffic at the
several drivers: improved device growth and patterns across different end of 2024.

35
capabilities, affordable service plans, location types in some North American
increased time spent consuming services, and European networks can be found in
an increase in data-intensive content the previously published article, “Exploring
and growth in data consumption due how traffic patterns drive network

%
to continued improvements in deployed evolution”.4 The key findings include:
network performance. • Traffic growth is not universal across
There are significant variations in locations within a service provider’s
monthly data consumption within all network. For example, in a dense urban
regions, with some individual countries location traffic demands can be up to
and service providers having considerably 1,000 times larger relative to rural areas.
higher or lower consumption than the • More services now require uplink
regional averages. performance to be considered, which
As traffic demand varies across regions typically makes up a larger portion of
and over time, it is important to keep in mind the traffic in dense urban locations.
that average monthly data traffic growth in a This will become even more critical
region cannot be used to estimate daily peak for new uplink-demanding services
traffic growth in a local area, or to support like AI and XR.
network evolution strategies there.

2
Traffic per active smartphone refers to all traffic generated by that device, regardless of number of subscriptions attached.
3
All Middle East and North Africa figures include the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
4
Ericsson Mobility Report, ”Exploring how traffic patterns drive network evolution” (June 2023).
11 Ericsson Mobility Report | June 2025

Europe makes progress

in 5G mid-band coverage

Further deployments are needed in Europe to

achieve coverage levels comparable to those
of North America and India.

There are currently 835 4G networks the full 5G experience. Combined with a population coverage at the end of 2024.
deployed worldwide, with 346 upgraded low-band FDD 5G carrier, it can provide Although Europe is now in line with the
to LTE-Advanced and 160 Gigabit full coverage and mobility. global average of 50 percent in 5G mid-band
enabled.1 4G population coverage outside coverage, further deployments are needed
of mainland China reached 90 percent Large regional variations to achieve coverage levels comparable to
globally at the end of 2024 and is in 5G coverage those in North America and India.
projected to reach over 95 percent in 2030. By the end of 2024, 5G mid-band India has made large-scale mid-band
The build-out of 5G continues, with population coverage outside of mainland deployments and reached around
more than 340 networks launched China reached 40 percent, but coverage 95 percent population coverage in 2024.
worldwide. Global 5G population coverage varies between regions. The Middle East Meanwhile, North American service
reached 55 percent at the end of 2024. and Africa, as well as Latin America, are providers have deployed 5G across
Outside mainland China, it is projected to the two regions with the lowest total low-, mid- and high-band frequencies,
increase from 45 percent in 2024 to about and mid-band coverage, having reached and total coverage is now at 95 percent,
85 percent in 2030. around 10 and 20 percent coverage with mid-band coverage at 90 percent.
5G mid-band, with either time division respectively at the end of 2024. The Despite coverage advancements,
duplex (TDD) or frequency division duplex Asia-Pacific region, outside of China globally only around 30 percent of sites
(FDD) modes of operation, combines and India, reached 30 percent total and outside of mainland China have been
high capacity with good coverage. mid-band coverage at the end of 2024. upgraded to 5G mid-band.
This makes it an ideal choice for delivering Europe reached 85 percent total 5G

Figure 7: World population and mid-band coverage split by region (end of 2024) Globally, 5G population coverage outside
of mainland China is set to reach around
5G total 5G mid-band
85 percent at the end of 2030.

85
55%
World
50%

World (without 45%

mainland China) 40%

North
America

Europe 85%
90%
95%
%
(without Russia) 50%
Latin 20%
America 20% Figure 8: World population coverage
Middle East 10% outside mainland China, by technology
and Africa 10%

Asia-Pacific (without 30% 2024 90%

India and mainland China) 30% 4G
2030 95%
95%
India
95%
2024 45%
95% 5G
Mainland China
95% 2030 85%

Note: The figures in these graphs are rounded and refer to the coverage of each technology.
The ability to utilize the technology is subject to factors such as access to devices and subscriptions.

1
Ericsson and GSA (May 2025).
12 Ericsson Mobility Report | June 2025

Majority offer
speed-based FWA

The proportion of Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) service providers

offering speed-based tariff plans has increased to 51 percent, up from
40 percent a year ago, thereby expanding monetization opportunities.

FWA is continuing to grow solidly in Continued global FWA momentum Majority of FWA service providers
terms of the: An updated Ericsson study1 of retail tariff offer speed-based plans
• Adoption: proportion of service plans offered by mobile service providers Speed-based tariff plans are commonly
providers offering it over 5G reveals that 80 percent have an FWA offered for fixed broadband services,
• Monetization: share of service providers offering. There are 141 service providers such as those delivered over fiber or cable.
with speed-based tariff plans offering FWA services over 5G, Consumers understand this type of plan
• Scale: number of connections and the representing 57 percent of all FWA well, which enables service providers to
traffic volume per connection service providers. monetize FWA as a broadband alternative.
Speed-based tariff plans are now offered
by 51 percent of FWA service providers, up
Figure 9: Global FWA service provider adoption 2022–2025 from 40 percent a year ago. This increase
highlights how providers can capitalize on
FWA (total) Percentage of FWA that is 5G
consumer preferences for fast and reliable
Percentage of FWA that is speed-based
services to drive growth. The remaining
79% 80% 49 percent offer volume-based tariff plans
77% 78%
(buckets of GB per month).
When considering only the service
providers that offer 5G FWA services, an
53%
57% even higher number offer speed-based tariff
51%
41%
plans, at 70 percent compared to 51 percent.
40%
32%
27%
21% Large regional variations
There are large regional variations in
0% the proportion of service providers
April 22 April 23 April 24 April 25 adopting FWA:
• FWA adoption is widespread globally.
In 4 out of 6 regions, 84 percent or more
Figure 10: Regional FWA service provider adoption 2025
service providers are offering FWA.
FWA (total) Percentage of FWA that is 5G • In the past year, there has been
Percentage of FWA that is speed-based
substantial growth in speed-based
offerings, driven primarily by three
100% regions: Western Europe, Central and
94%
89%
Eastern Europe, and the Middle East
89%
84% and Africa.
84%
• Latin America and parts of South East
72% 67%
Asia have the potential to increase the
53% adoption of service providers that offer
51% 64% speed-based services and FWA over 5G.
47% 47% 46%
• Currently, all service providers in the
36% Gulf Cooperation Council region offer
30% 5G FWA services.
22%

0% Global market update2

North Western Central Middle East Asia-Pacific Latin • Reliance Jio reported an eightfold increase
America Europe and Eastern and Africa America in 5G FWA connections from March 2024
Europe
to March 2025, reaching a total of
310 service providers, representing around 90 percent of global mobile revenues.
1 5.6 million connections, targeting
All FWA service provider data comes from the latest company official quarterly financial reports.
2
100 million connected homes in India.
13 Ericsson Mobility Report | June 2025

Figure 11: FWA connections (millions)

5G FWA connections 4G and other technology FWA connections

350

300

250

200

150

100

50

0
2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030

• As yet another example of utilizing CPE choices support a Half of global FWA connections
5G standalone (SA), network slicing speed-based strategy in Asia-Pacific in 2030
and partitioning to drive mobile data The aforementioned Ericsson study, Higher volumes of 5G FWA in populous,
monetization, Cosmote, Greece, which examines 141 global mobile service high-growth countries can drive economies
has launched 5G FWA based on providers offering 5G FWA services, of scale for the overall 5G FWA ecosystem,
differentiated connectivity. provides insights into the types of customer resulting in even more affordable CPE.
• The Q1 2025 reports from major US premises equipment (CPE) they offer. Asia-Pacific’s share of global FWA
broadband providers – AT&T, Verizon, Among the 44 service providers with a connections is expected to increase from
T-Mobile, Comcast, Charter best-effort offering, 91 percent only offer 40 percent in 2024 to 51 percent in 2030.
Communications and Altice – mark the indoor CPE units, while 9 percent provide
11th consecutive quarter in which FWA has outdoor or flexi self-install CPE options FWA impact on global mobile
accounted for nearly all broadband net (that can be placed indoors or outdoors). network data traffic
additions in the US, highlighting its growing By contrast, for the 97 service providers As a result of the change in regional mix,
role in the nation’s connectivity landscape. with speed-based offerings, the with a higher share of FWA connections in
During this quarter, AT&T, Verizon, and percentage of indoor-only CPE drops APAC, as well as lower consumption of GB
T-Mobile collectively added 913,000 new to 59 percent, with a significantly higher per connection, the predicted FWA traffic
connections, bringing the total number portion, at 41 percent, offering outdoor up to 2030 has been slightly reduced.
of 5G FWA connections to 12.5 million. or self-install options. Nevertheless, at the end of 2024, FWA data
• In the US, DSL replacement is traffic represented 25 percent of global
accelerating due to initiatives by the new 350 million FWA connections in 2030 mobile data traffic and is projected to grow
Federal Communications Commission Global FWA connections are expected to by a factor of close to 4 to reach around
(FCC) chairperson that facilitate the grow from 160 million at the end of 2024 to 151 EB per month by the end of 2030.
decommissioning of legacy networks, 350 million by the end of 2030. This would This will represent 35 percent of the total
paving the way for the expansion of represent 18 percent of all fixed broadband mobile network data traffic.
FWA and fiber connections. connections. Of the 350 million projected
connections, more than 80 percent are
expected to be over 5G. 4G FWA connections
are predicted to peak in 2026.

Figure 12: 5G FWA CPE form factor by service-provider offering Of the 350 million FWA connections
projected globally by the end of 2030,
100% 80 percent are expected to be over 5G.

80
9% 11% Outdoor available

30% Flexi self-install available

%
91%

59% Indoor only

0%
Best effort Speed based
44 service providers (31%) 97 service providers (69%)
14 Ericsson Mobility Report | June 2025

5G FWA and fiber to capture

most growth through 2030

The global fixed broadband market is set for growth, driven by demand
for high-speed internet. 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) and fiber are
anticipated to account for the majority of the growth.

The growth projection for global fixed FWA capturing over crucial in meeting the connectivity needs
broadband connections is that 1.6 billion one-third of connections of an increasingly digital world. Continued
broadband connections will increase to FWA is projected to account for more than investment and innovation, along with
2 billion by 2030, with 550 million 35 percent of new connections, with an technology-agnostic support from
additional new connections in fiber, FWA expected increase to 350 million by governments and regulators,
and satellite. Notably, more than a quarter 2030 as mentioned in the FWA forecast, is essential for ensuring that global
of this increase is expected to stem from representing more than double the infrastructure can support this anticipated
legacy modernization as consumers current connections. demand, while fostering economic growth,
transition from DSL and cable to faster 5G FWA plays a crucial role in expanding closing the digital divide, and improving
broadband options, resulting in a decline broadband access, especially in areas quality of life. The growth potential extends
of approximately 150 million DSL and cable where traditional wired infrastructure may beyond these numbers, encompassing
connections. The remaining three-quarters be less feasible. 5G FWA offers a rapid additional secondary homes and
are anticipated to come from new deployment advantage compared to other small-to-medium-sized businesses,
connections, fueled by population technologies by utilizing existing mobile underscoring the continuous demand for
expansion and initiatives to connect infrastructure, which already covers fast and reliable broadband connectivity.
previously unconnected households. There 90 percent of the world’s population. By 2030, there will still be opportunities
is a projected decline for unconnected for modernization and to connect the
households, to roughly 550 million, which Need for investments remaining unconnected.
represents approximately 25 percent of The projected increase in global fixed
global households. broadband connections reflects ongoing
technological development and investment.
As we approach 2030, the mix of fiber,
5G FWA and satellite technologies will be

Figure 13: Global fixed broadband connections (millions) by technology, 2024–2030 FWA is projected to account for over
35 percent of the new fixed broadband
connections through 2030.

35
Growth: ~550
2,000

New connections:
~400

%
1,800 (New connections
and new homes1)

1,600

1,400 Decline: ~150

1,200
FWA share
2024: ~10%
2030: ~18%
0
2024 DSL Cable Fiber FWA Satellite2 2030

1
New homes driven by population growth. Unconnected decline to 550 million in the period. Source: Ericsson analysis.
2
ABI research.
Articles
5G has the power to provide enhanced experiences for both consumers and
enterprises. Our articles explore: a customer-centric 5G standalone rollout with
BT Group; the power of network APIs for live media production over 5G with Sony;
the current and future impact of generative AI (GenAI) applications on network traffic;
smartphone video conferencing user experience; trends around service packaging
and differentiated connectivity; and the shifting mobile traffic trends as subscriber
clusters change their behaviors.

BT Group chose a customer-centric With Sony, we explore how 5G and The emergence of GenAI is one factor that
5G standalone rollout strategy, network APIs are enhancing service will affect network traffic in the coming
ensuring customers around the UK experiences, using differentiated years, and understanding its impact will
immediately felt the difference in their connectivity to enable live media be key for future network planning.
5G experiences. production over mobile networks.

We explore the different ways that Video conferencing on smartphones Subscriber clusters are changing
service providers can move beyond requires stable connections, especially their behavior as they embrace new
best effort and offer differentiated in the uplink, in order to provide applications and services, driving tangible
connectivity services to both great user experiences. changes in mobile traffic trends.
enterprise and consumer segments.
16 Ericsson Mobility Report | June 2025

GenAI’s impact on network

data traffic today

In a mature market dominated by high-end smartphones,

generative AI (GenAI) traffic was found to be relatively
small, but with 26 percent of it attributed to uplink traffic.

The global mobile AI app market is growing 29 percent in uplink. In other apps, the and editing, which significantly boosts
robustly, with 115 million app downloads distribution of uplink and downlink traffic is traffic share, particularly in downloads.
in December 2024 alone, marking an more symmetrical compared to the general Similarly, other apps focused on
impressive 81 percent year-on-year traffic distribution. For instance, DeepSeek generating visual content also exhibit
increase. The App Store and Google Play and Microsoft Copilot exhibit a roughly higher monthly consumption per user,
now offer over 29,000 mobile AI apps, of equal 50/50 uplink/downlink ratio. On the averaging around 200 MB.
which, 14,000 were released in 2024.1 other hand, some applications, such as
Currently, a significantly larger proportion Invideo AI, are heavily skewed toward Future GenAI impact on network traffic
of GenAI app users own high-end downlink traffic, with downlink comprising Today’s GenAI content is predominantly
smartphones compared to the general user 99 percent of the total. produced by AI-apps based on interactive
base in the measured network. However, Canva holds the largest traffic share voice and text chats. This is expected to
GenAI traffic represents only 0.06 percent after ChatGPT, accounting for 25 percent evolve with the advent of increasingly
of the total network data traffic. In most of the total, followed by Gemini AI with capable GenAI smartphones, new XR
mobile networks, the typical traffic 7 percent and Galaxy AI with 2 percent. devices and the proliferation of
distribution is heavily skewed, with a Gemini AI has the most users, with bandwidth-intensive new media formats
90-to-10 percent downlink-to-uplink ratio. 21 percent of total subscribers and in the coming years. This could significantly
However, AI traffic exhibits a higher uplink 56 percent of AI app usage. However, impact future mobile network traffic
distribution, with 74 percent downlink and estimated monthly data consumption per volumes and characteristics, particularly
26 percent uplink traffic. user is only around 2 MB, with the top through increased video consumption and
ChatGPT was the most downloaded 10 percent most intense users consuming changing uplink requirements.3
mobile AI app in 2024, with 250 million around 9 MB and very few extreme users
installs and 546 million active monthly exceeding 10 GB. Gemini AI is pre-installed
users worldwide as of April 2025. This user on Android devices, boosting the user base Methodology
base is 3.6 times larger than that of the even though average monthly data The study examined 21 of the most
second most widely used mobile AI app consumption remains modest compared to prominent mobile AI apps available
(Quark).2 In the measured network, other AI tools. as of early 2025, analyzing one week
ChatGPT accounts for 60 percent of total Invideo AI, although used by a smaller of traffic data collected from a service
AI traffic and 70 percent of all AI traffic in number of users, has the highest estimated provider’s network in April 2025 and
the uplink. For this app, the traffic monthly data consumption per user at extrapolating it to reflect monthly
distribution is 71 percent in downlink and 504 MB due to its role in video generation usage. Not all AI-related traffic from
regular mobile apps with integrated
Figure 14: Share of AI app usage and traffic volume per AI app category AI features is included in the
measurements. Only traffic that can
Productivity and assistant tools Text tools AI visual content generators be clearly identified is covered. The
Video generation AI character chat apps are categorized by functionality
and purpose: the text tools OpenAI
ChatGPT, DeepSeek AI, Perplexity AI,
Usage
share Claude AI and Grok AI; the AI visual
content generators Canva AI, Adobe
Traffic Firefly, Midjourney AI, Davinci AI,
share Stable Diffusion AI, Starry AI, Dream
AI; the productivity and assistant
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
tools Gemini AI, Galaxy AI, Microsoft
Copilot; the video generation tools
Note: Regular mobile apps that have AI features integrated are not included in the measurements. Invideo AI, HeyGen AI, Synthesia AI,
Appfigures, Rise of AI Apps: Trends Shaping 2025.
1 Animaker AI and Steve AI; and
Backlinko, Most Popular AI Apps (May 2025).
2 AI character chat Talkie AI.
For more details, see the companion article “Quantifying the future impact of GenAI” on page 17.
3
17 Ericsson Mobility Report | June 2025

Quantifying the future

impact of GenAI

New traffic growth in mobile networks is set to be driven by

high-performing 5G networks serving new devices, such as AR glasses,
together with scalable, multimodal generative AI (GenAI) applications.

assistants that rely on uplink-heavy video A critical distinction is emerging between

Key insights and voice processing to deliver real-time, on-demand AI agents (which are invoked
context-aware interactions. by the user) and always-on AI agents
• While GenAI will be pervasive Together, these innovations are causing (that proactively assist autonomously).
across device hardware, operating a foundational shift toward AI-native The personalized AI agent of 2030 will
systems and applications, only platforms and ecosystems, where have a pervasive presence, embedded
applications with high adoption intelligent, multimodal interfaces redefine in our devices, environments, and
and high data rate requirements how humans and machines interact. interactions. Different types of AI agents
will impact mobile network traffic All of these emerging use cases require present unique challenges in terms of
growth globally. high-performance connectivity. compute demands, latency sensitivity
• Projected net-new traffic growth and network resource consumption.
will likely require careful network Rise of personalized AI agents Importantly, proactive AI agents will
planning, as well as additional At the intersection of these emerging use consume more resources and also need
mid- and centimetric-band cases, a new class of highly personalized to be carefully managed to ensure user
spectrum to accommodate virtual and physical AI agents is gaining privacy and safety.
increasing uplink requirements. momentum. These AI agents – consumed
• Differentiated connectivity on smartphones, via AR glasses and Convergence of networks,
will be key in enabling a other wearables, or embodied through a devices and content
high-quality user experience for companion droid – represent a fundamental The rise of AI agents and AI-native
personalized AI agents and other shift in human-computer interaction. applications is driven by the commercial
conversational applications. An AI agent can serve as a highly alignment of three core enablers:
personalized assistant for consumers, offering networks, devices and content.
services like proactive scheduling, real-time Modern 5G networks are evolving
Emergence of AI-native language translation, immersive navigation, beyond mobile broadband to deliver
multimodal use cases adaptive learning and content curation differentiated capabilities, such as
AI and GenAI are rapidly transforming across devices such as smartphones, deterministic latency, high uplink
both consumer and enterprise domains, AR glasses, or laptops. In the enterprise performance, improved handovers
enabling entirely new classes of context, AI agents can automate workflows, and ultra-reliable edge access.
AI-native, multimodal applications, manage routine communications, assist APIs now enable developers to tap
which process multiple types of data with knowledge retrieval and support into these capabilities.
input simultaneously. frontline employees with real-time Devices have also matured to support
AI is driving hyper-personalized recommendations, effectively acting as a AI-native experiences. Smartphones
experiences through GenAI-powered smart interface between those employees are evolving into multimodal AI terminals
smartphones. Users are benefiting from and complex systems. with enhanced sensors and dedicated
faster access to relevant information or On the other hand, a physical AI agent, such AI accelerators. Meanwhile, AR devices
easier content creation. As a result, the as a service robot or an autonomous droid, are advancing along two distinct paths:
technology can boost user engagement and can assist in enterprise environments. They Sleek camera-enabled smart glasses for
retention. Smart and AR glasses – requiring can take on roles in logistics, surveillance, casual consumption, or more immersive,
the offloading of compute-intensive tasks warehouse operations, or even customer full-stack systems designed for rich,
such as large language models (LLMs) or services, where they can handle repetitive, continuous interaction. These devices
Gaussian splatting1 to the cloud – enable dangerous, or time-sensitive tasks while act as sensor ingestion hubs and delivery
rich AR experiences. Significantly, the continuously learning from and adapting endpoints for AI agents, enabling
emergence of AI agents and multimodal to these environments. For consumers, contextual, always-available assistance.
LLMs is ushering in a new era of intelligent they can provide physical support paired
with sentient behavior for various tasks.

1
Gaussian splatting: A 3D rendering technique that uses millions of tiny, translucent ellipsoids (or “splats”) to represent a scene.
18 Ericsson Mobility Report | June 2025

Finally, the surge in GenAI capabilities Figure 15: GenAI applications, adoption vs. data rates
allows content – whether text, images, or
immersive environments – to be generated at
High
unprecedented scale and quality. Multimodal GenAI video editing
media, including 2D, 3D and volumetric Video AI assistant
content (via, for example, techniques Immersive games

Data rate
for rendering 3D imagery such as neural
radiance fields2 or Gaussian splatting), are
Low High
unlocking new engagement formats. These
formats are particularly suited for immersive Adoption
AR environments and physical AI agents, Audio translation
Audio assistant
allowing them to reason about and operate
within complex, spatially rich contexts.
Text-based tasks
Shifting traffic characteristics Low
As AI and GenAI become increasingly
integrated into personalized and immersive
experiences, the nature of network awareness. AI agents may also pull on network traffic. While nearly all future
traffic is undergoing a fundamental additional information from various apps, from productivity tools to creative
transformation. AI-native workloads are other sources, which also increases platforms, will incorporate GenAI in some
introducing new traffic dynamics that are traffic toward the AI agents. form either on the device or in the cloud,
more bidirectional, context-sensitive, and • Semantic compression technologies: only a subset will drive mobile traffic
therefore uplink-intensive: Emerging avatar-based communication growth: Namely, those that enjoy a
• Personalized content with mainly represents a new approach to traffic wide-scale adoption and require access
downlink-centric growth: optimization by transmitting high-level to the cloud or content at high data rates.
GenAI enables at-scale creation semantic data instead of video. If done To understand impact, it is safe to disregard:
of hyper-personalized content – from on a device, this can result in significantly • High-rate but low-adoption applications,
entertainment to education – to be tailored reduced data rates, particularly in such as professional video editing or
in real time for each user. This increases controlled environments. However, cloud-based 3D rendering. These are
engagement, retention and consumption, their broader traffic impact is expected bandwidth-intensive but niche in usage,
something already seen today. However, to remain limited in the near term as and therefore capable of being absorbed
despite increasing the load on downlink, adoption will likely be confined to closed by peak-dimensioning of networks.
the traffic impact is manageable with ecosystems and enterprise use cases. • High-adoption but low-rate GenAI
the current 5G spectrum. applications, such as text-based
• Immersive interactions with These emerging classes of bidirectional chatbots that are ubiquitous but
mainly uplink-centric growth: traffic include real-time queries, streamed lightweight in their data demands.
Where AI truly starts to reshape traffic context, inference inputs and outputs, • Low-adoption and low-rate applications,
is in real-time, immersive interactions, as well as orchestration commands. for example, occasional real-time
especially those involving multimodal This leads to a new traffic profile that audio translation.
assistants or AI agents embedded in differs sharply from traditional patterns,
AR experiences. These systems rely on a in terms of volume, peak versus average Significant network impact will stem from
constant uplink for video streams, sensor characteristics, latency requirements, as applications that are both data-intensive
data, and conversational cues, followed well as packet size and frequency. and widely adopted, including:
by contextual inference and real-time • Video-based AI assistants that use
adaptation. The shift from cloud-based Not all GenAI traffic is equal real-time video feeds for interaction,
AI to on-device or edge-executed GenAI As GenAI continues its rapid integration requiring constant uplink/downlink flow
amplifies this trend by lowering latency, into everyday applications, it’s important and semantic understanding which can
but it still requires continuous uplink to recognize that not all GenAI-powered unlikely be provided by a GenAI model
for personalization and environmental experiences will have a meaningful impact on the device.

Figure 16: Traffic impact of personalized AI assistants in smart glasses and AR devices
Uplink increase for low-resolution implementation, Downlink increase for low-resolution implementation,
compared to today’s uplink traffic compared to today’s downlink traffic
Uplink increase for mid-resolution implementation, Downlink increase for mid-resolution implementation,
compared to today’s uplink traffic compared to today’s downlink traffic

100% 30%

80% 25%

20%
60%
15%
40%
10%
20% 5%

0% 0%
10% 20% 40% 10% 20% 40%
Adoption rate Adoption rate

2
Neural radiance fields: A deep learning method for creating 3D representations of scenes from 2D images.
19 Ericsson Mobility Report | June 2025

• Immersive gaming or gamified Specifically, it is assumed that of the The traffic impact analysis looks at
environments powered by sophisticated population that will own a smart or adoption rates of 10, 20 and 40 percent.
GenAI-driven characters and environments, AR headset in the future, 20 percent are The resulting growth in uplink and
potentially combining multi-user streaming power users, such as developers, heavy downlink requirements for different
with dynamic, procedural and volumetric gamers or influencers, and 80 percent quality AI assistants are shown in
content generation. are median users with light usage for Figure 16. Projected growth in
These categories stand out as potential navigation and occasional use of an AI requirements is substantial; however,
drivers of net-new traffic, particularly assistant. Furthermore, it is assumed that differentiated connectivity with slicing has
when experienced through AR devices power users are using the device for 100 the potential to improve spectral efficiency,
with always-on assistants. Their data minutes per day over 5G, while the median enabling high-quality connectivity for these
intensity comes from content rendering users use them for 10 minutes per day. and other high-bandwidth,
as well as from continuous AI inference Based on the assumption that at some conversational applications.
and environment interaction, creating time in the future, adoption of AR headsets AR is likely to incentivize hands-free
persistent uplink and downlink demands. will reach 20 percent, average usage will and mobile usage – therefore, it may
These new high-rate, high-adoption amount to approximately 5.6 minutes happen that more traffic will be consumed
applications are likely to define the next per day. A medium-quality AI agent over 5G compared to indoor only Wi-Fi.
wave of traffic drivers and subsequently implementation at 0.7 Mbps uplink and In summary, the quantified uplink
impact spectrum requirements, 2 Mbps downlink would cause an and downlink traffic increases due to the
network planning, investment, and approximate increase in uplink by example application of an AI assistant
ecosystem alignment. 47 percent and downlink by 14 percent. application running on AR glasses using
Although uplink-heavy video calls and This increase will require proper network 5G. Note that the analysis provided focuses
downlink-heavy media streaming might dimensioning and optimization, uplink on the average rate increase, rather than
be consumed on AR glasses in the future, improvements and more spectrum. deriving detailed distributions or specific
it is not clear yet if it will constitute net-new AR device uptake is predicted to regional variations. It is also based
traffic or substitution and so it is not grow at pace, though predictions still on the population average, rather than
considered here. differ significantly. The most optimistic peak requirements.
predictions indicate that about 20 percent
Uplink, downlink and future of the US adult population will likely own an
spectrum implications AR device by 2028, while other predictions
To obtain the actual global averages put this some years later. Is it important
of usage minutes, and thus uplink and to note that the growth is predicted to
downlink rate requirements, Pareto and continue for years to come, meaning a
power distribution laws are applied. 20 percent population uptake is a rather
modest prediction long term.

Video quality implementations

The following quantification exemplifies data rates above 1 Mbps feed are likely. • Emerging AR glasses with visuals
the average data and network demands It is worth noting that frame rates and would enable richer interactions such
of AI agent applications, depending compression rates could be dynamically as real-time visual overlays, animated
on implementation quality and adjusted to suit the situation. The use of avatars, or guided navigation.
distinguishing between uplink and higher efficiency codecs beyond JPEG Communication needs are likely to
downlink requirements: can further reduce the rates or enable be increased. The analysis assumes
• Uplink: AI agent implementations can higher resolutions at the same rate. uplink will initially be around 0.7 Mbps
get surprisingly good results even with • Downlink: An audio-only – but may grow to above 1 Mbps later
a fairly low-resolution, low-frame-rate implementation will require a mere – and the downlink is around 2 Mbps.
video or frame-by-frame picture with 128 Kbps in the downlink. In the case Not every user will require such
audio. Assuming a transmission of of AR glasses, a video or animation capabilities in the future, but – if
480p (640 x 480 pixels) at 1 frame per could be transmitted in the downlink averaged across the entire mobile
second (FPS), and a frame-by-frame at 720p and 30 FPS, requiring at least user base – even small average
encoding using JPEG at a compression 2 Mbps using a highly efficient lossy usage, such as 1 minute per day,
of about 1 bit per pixel, this yields video codec. can increase uplink noticeably:
roughly 300 Kbps. Adding 128 Kbps An AI agent implementation with
audio, the total average uplink is a These approximate rates for uplink the above-mentioned 0.4 Mbps uplink
little over 0.4 Mbps. and downlink are used to derive the increases the monthly uplink by
minimum requirements for different 5 percent. These numbers do not take
To capture more dynamic scenes, device classes: regional differences into account and
this baseline will likely increase to • Ultra-low-power wearables with no rather assume the global baseline
2 FPS, yielding an increased uplink of visual output, such as those found in consumption of 20 GB per person per
approximately 0.7 Mbps. The frame smart glasses on the market today, month, at 90 percent downlink and
rates and/or resolution may further will enable real-time translations or 10 percent uplink.
increase to cater for scenarios with some audio-guided assistant interactions.
movements and/or requirements for The uplink will be in the order of 0.4 Mbps
higher image quality. It is assumed that and the downlink about 0.1 Mbps.
20 Ericsson Mobility Report | June 2025

5G standalone launch strategy:

More than a network upgrade

BT Group leveraged its unique network assets to deliver a user

experience-centric launch of 5G standalone, enhancing
user experience and changing its go-to-market strategy.

BT Group had clear expectations for the

Key insights performance benefits it wanted to deliver
for its customers with the launch of
• A focus on an experience-centric 5G SA. These included improved latency
launch, with 95 percent 5G and voice quality, enhanced reliability
standalone coverage linked and capacity, stronger indoor coverage in
with carrier aggregation across specific locations, and enhanced network This article was written in cooperation
mid- and low-bands, ensured security. Beyond combined fixed and with BT Group, the UK’s leading fixed
customers felt the difference. mobile packages, BT Group is exploring and mobile communications provider.
• Applying new capabilities like new ways to utilize 5G SA, Wi-Fi 7 and
network slicing is empowering public hotspots to create a smarter
businesses with dependable and more seamless connected experience Measurable improvements
connectivity, from seamless for its customers. As part of the strategy to deliver
payments to digital measurable improvements, six frequency
transformation projects. Experience-centric launch strategy carriers were made available in locations
• Enhanced connectivity in stadiums With customer experience at the heart where 5G SA was launched, and carrier
saw a greater consumption of data of this launch, demanding performance aggregation was utilized across most
as well as the introduction of new benchmarks were set to ensure a sites. The launch was purposely timed
and enhanced user experiences. consistent, reliable and enhanced network to coincide with wider availability of 5G
experience from day one. This threshold SA-enabled devices, to ensure increased
was to deliver more than 95 percent accessibility to the network upgrades.
BT Group sought to take advantage of outdoor coverage in every 5G SA location This ensured more users’ next-generation
its strong market position and unique before announcing the launch. To deliver handsets experienced a notable
network assets in the UK, leading outdoor on this ambition – building a 5G SA performance improvement, even in busy
coverage with 5G standalone (SA), and network capable of delivering a meaningful locations like train stations and major
leading indoor connectivity with Wi-Fi 7 experience for BT Group’s customers and stadiums. In advance of the launch,
providing millions of public-Wi-Fi hotspots showing the true value of 5G – there have BT Group secured strong partnerships with
nationwide. It is no longer good enough been several key steps beyond just the major brands so that its customers would
simply to have a connection; BT Group’s establishment of the core network. get the best network experience on
customers want high-quality and reliable Building a converged cloud core, which leading, high-end devices and applications.
connectivity that empowers them to live, enables the flexibility and scalability Carrier aggregation is an important
work and play the way they want. This needed to deliver new 5G SA use cases, technique for ensuring reliability and
mindset of always focusing on building was the starting point. This was high performance as upload demand
the best network experiences is reflected complemented with carrier aggregation continues to increase. Trials to deliver
in BT Group’s mobile network brand, EE, across mid- and low-bands running on the two-carrier uplink on a live 5G SA network
being ranked first in the UK based on majority of sites. By the end of March 2025, are now bearing fruit in the real world,
external benchmarks by a third party for the 5G SA network was live and available and customers using the latest devices are
the last 11 years.1 to over 28 million people across 50 major benefiting from better mobile experiences.
towns and cities in the UK, covering more Ultimately, 5G SA in combination with
than 40 percent of the population. carrier aggregation will deliver on the true
This met the goal of delivering over potential of 5G, by offering greater security,
95 percent outdoor coverage, ensuring reliability and capacity. This is especially
the benefits of 5G SA could be experienced true in busy areas and during peak times,
consistently and reliably. so consumers can get the quality of
experience they want.

1
RootMetrics, "UK Mobile Performance and 5G in Review" (August 2024).
21 Ericsson Mobility Report | June 2025

Figure 17: Launch cities where 5G SA is available, as of March 31, 2025

21

22
24

43
6
33

9 10 28
26
48 13
45
30 46 32 2 25 19
39 27
41 1 49 42 38
40
7 36

50 29
8 16
17
20

34

44 18
11 14 35
12 31
37 15 5
4 47

23

Phase one, September 2024 Phase two, December 2024 Phase three, March 2025

1. Altrincham 11. Bridgend 21. Dundee 31. London 41. St Helens

2. Ashton-under-Lyne 12. Bristol 22. Edinburgh 32. Manchester 42. Stockport
3. Barrow-in-Furness 13. Bury 23. Exeter 33. Middlesbrough 43. Sunderland
4. Barry 14. Caerphilly 24. Glasgow 34. Milton Keynes 44. Swansea
5. Bath 15. Cardiff 25. Huddersfield 35. Newport 45. Wakefield
6. Belfast 16. Corby 26. Hull 36. Nottingham 46. Walkden
7. Birkenhead 17. Coventry 27. Hyde 37. Port Talbot 47. Weston-super-Mare
8. Birmingham 18. Cwmbran 28. Leeds 38. Rotherham 48. Wigan
9. Blackburn 19. Doncaster 29. Leicester 39. Sale 49. Wilmslow
10. Bradford 20. Dudley 30. Liverpool 40. Sheffield 50. Wolverhampton
22 Ericsson Mobility Report | June 2025

“With this being the 20th year for our festive beer tent, Lavery’s is as synonymous
with Belfast’s Christmas Market as it is with the city itself. In that time, the need to
enable fast and reliable mobile payments has only grown thanks to the growing
trend toward cashless transactions. BT Group’s network slicing capability therefore
gives us so much peace of mind, not only in enabling transactions to be completed
faster than ever, but also in delivering the dedicated mobile capacity needed to
keep our customers happy and queues moving, even at the busiest times.”
Bernard Lavery, Director, Lavery’s

As illustrated in Figure 17, BT Group’s These benefits are enabled by both the Enabling new experience
phase one 5G SA deployments were in performance gains in the network and Building the 5G SA network is not only
15 of the UK’s most populous cities. These new capabilities like network slicing, about enhancing user experience today,
cities have large numbers of potential where service providers can create but it is also about building a foundation of
customers who could be provided with multiple levels of connectivity services BT Group’s next-generation, AI-powered
high-end devices and a variety of high-quality using the same infrastructure, to provide network to ensure greater responsiveness
services, enhanced by the dense 5G SA deterministic connectivity matched to and help future devices deliver the best
network. Subsequently, a clustering application requirements. performance. 5G SA will be the bedrock
strategy has been used in phases two and During the festive period in Northern of the next generation of connected
three to build out into the surrounding cities Ireland, network slicing was utilized for experiences. Its ultra-low latency,
and towns, with the goal to drive uptake of Belfast’s Christmas Market to provide increased capacity and enhanced security
5G SA and high-end devices to improve the predictable and reliable connectivity for is delivering a more reliable performance
user experience. The 5G SA network has payment terminals. As Belfast’s oldest for customers today, but it is also serving
reached over 40 percent population family-owned pub, Lavery’s has been at as a platform for new services and
coverage as of March 2025. the heart of the city’s social life for over capabilities, to meet the needs of future
Following the network investments, 100 years, and the Belfast Christmas services and applications.
5G SA is now marketed within EE’s Market has been one of the most important Network investment is critical for
service packages with the latest devices, dates in its diary for two decades. The BT Group, because it believes the future
including advertised speeds of up to Lavery’s beer tent is among the most will be about more than just providing
10 times faster than 4G. However, this has popular attractions, and with 1.2 million the fastest and most reliable connectivity
not been the positioning with the launch yearly visitors to the market, reliable, fast experiences. It will be about delivering
strategy; the focus has been on improved mobile payments are crucial. network performance that empowers
user experiences in crowded places and its customers to do more with the next
highlighting the uplink benefits alongside The connected stadium generation of devices and applications.
faster speeds. The cup final weekend in May is the One example is Gen AI, with major
EE wanted to learn from the industry conclusion of the English football season device manufacturers launching new
challenges experienced during the initial for both the men’s and women’s game. smartphones with built-in AI applications
5G launches, where consumer expectations This year, the connectivity in Wembley and smart glasses being on the horizon.
were not met due to spotty coverage. stadium was taken to a new level with As these services evolve, the network
The network deployment based on the 5G SA. Supported by enhanced will be what underpins the superfast and
95 percent population coverage in launch connectivity, the network saw an increase seamless connections to the cloud for
cities, linked with the experience-centric in 5G traffic of around 31 percent in 2025 enabling the best personal AI experiences.
go-to-market strategy, ensured that compared to 2024, reaching in excess of The ambition is to build a network that is
customer expectations and network 2.3 TB of data. The proportion of uplink programmable with the ability to ensure
capabilities were aligned. The network was traffic was around 23 percent across network resources can be allocated where
monitored closely in the months following both games, with uplink traffic growing and when they are needed on-demand, to
the launch, and showed it was able to by around 46 percent. This illustrates the respond to the needs of new and emerging
maintain a high and stable Net Promoter growing importance of uplink and the applications. Network APIs will play a
Score (NPS) of around 8 out of 10, for both need to dimension networks differently to role in exposing the network capabilities
reliability and speed. cater for the changing needs to ensure an to customers via APIs to support the
enhanced consumer experience is delivered. development and enhancement of both
Enhancing experience Beyond the enhanced user experience, existing and new applications.
Demand for faster uplink speeds is growing network slicing was also explored at
in importance as more people want to the venue to test its capabilities, such
live-stream content, game online, have as cameras on the mascot children that
video calls and use real-time applications. walk out with the players, which provided
The network is not only enhancing the parents with connectivity for a closer
experiences for consumers, but also experience. These tests and activities are
supporting businesses with dependable part of a bigger picture for being able to
connectivity and empowering them apply the necessary connectivity to support
with digital transformation projects. the operations of events and enhance
the visitor experience.
23 Ericsson Mobility Report | June 2025

Mobile video conferencing

challenges 5G coverage

A seamless and high-quality video conferencing experience

depends largely on stable uplink performance during video calls,
which is more demanding than for downlink-centric apps.

require a stable 4 Mbps in both uplink and This challenge can be addressed in multiple
Key insights downlink directions. The word “stable” is
important, meaning that the 4 Mbps needs
ways through the deployment of:
• low-band spectrum on every radio base
• Great video conferencing to be available every second of a video call. station site, since radio waves on
experiences on smartphones To assess the capability of deployed low-band frequencies travel longer
require a consistent uplink 5G networks to provide a stable uplink of distances and more easily penetrate
throughput of at least 4 Mbps. 4 Mbps, uplink throughput measurements obstacles such as walls
• The root cause behind poor video were collected in live 5G networks. • radios with 4 receivers in low-band
conferencing experiences is often a Every user activity for all users connected • frequency division duplex (FDD)
lack of uplink coverage when a radio to the networks in the sampled areas was mid-band with a higher number
base station can no longer “hear” measured for one week. The analysis is of radio receivers (4, 8 or higher with
the smartphone well enough. based on several billion data samples FDD Massive MIMO) for optimal use
• Improved uplink coverage can be collected in the RAN covering multiple of low-band
achieved by widely deploying major urban areas. Video conferencing • advanced RAN software solutions such
low-band spectrum, deploying radios experience is rated based on achievable as uplink Coordinated Multi-point (CoMP),
with four receivers in low-band, video quality for a certain uplink throughput advanced traffic steering with
introducing advanced RAN software that ranges from “great” (>4 Mbps) to multi-layer coordination to offload
features, and reducing the distance “poor” (<0.5 Mbps). The results in Figure 18 low-band spectrum, closed-loop power
between radio base stations. show that 5G networks in Europe had control and uplink-aware mobility
substantially fewer samples rated “poor” • more radio base station sites, outdoor
compared to 5G networks in North America, and indoor, to reduce the distance
With a more mobile workforce and the where up to 15 percent of the samples to end-user devices
rise of hybrid work models, video measured less than 0.5 Mbps in uplink.
conferencing via smartphones becomes Figure 18: User experience (uplink) in
indispensable for remote collaboration Improving uplink coverage European and North American networks
and communication. in 5G networks
To thoroughly identify the root causes Great Good Fair Poor
Video conferencing user experience behind the samples rated as “poor” in
A previous study1 conducted by Ericsson Figure 18, a deeper analysis is necessary. 4.0 Mbps 2.5 Mbps 0.5 Mbps
SmartphoneLab demonstrated that a However, prior experience suggests that Best High Standard
(1080p) (720p) (480p)
downlink throughput “at click” of 20 Mbps poor uplink performance is often caused
100%
and an uplink throughput “at click” of by too great a distance between radio
1 Mbps are required for a great smartphone base stations, as well as obstacles like
user experience, when consuming today’s exterior building walls and terrain.
80%
most popular web and video streaming The downlink transmission power of a
content. Beyond these speeds, user radio base station is at least hundreds of
experience improves only marginally. times greater than the maximum power
60%
However, for video conferencing the uplink a smartphone can use when transmitting
requirements are higher than for web and back in uplink to the radio base station.
video streaming. In simple terms, radio base stations can
40%
Video conferencing with a high-definition “shout” in downlink while user devices can
video resolution (1080p) offers the greatest only “whisper” in uplink. This explains why
user experience. At this resolution, cellular communication is often
20%
smartphone apps, such as the Microsoft uplink coverage limited.
Teams2 app and the Google Meet app3
0%
Ericsson, “Time-to-content: Great user experience on 5G mid-band” (June 2024).
1
A B C A B C D E
Microsoft, “Prepare your organization’s network for Microsoft Teams” (June 2024).
2
Europe North America
Google, “Google Meet hardware requirements” (June 2025).
3
24 Ericsson Mobility Report | June 2025

A new era for connected

creativity and entertainment

5G and network APIs are helping creators to realize better

service experiences for live and real-time entertainment.

Creativity connected Commercial 5G SA differentiated

Key insights Time-to-news and time-to-audience are connectivity in action
critical for news broadcasters, photographers Network slicing, in combination with the
• 5G connected creativity changes and video producers like influencers. QoD network API, provides deterministic
the economic paradigm for media 5G is enabling new and creative ways performance characteristics for
and content producers. of storytelling – videographers and high-quality media production. It offers
• Network APIs will be a catalyst for photographers are no longer anchored the ability to allocate network resources
innovation in the creative and to locations and can move freely while and give priority on-demand to on-air
entertainment sectors. remaining connected, without the need wireless cameras, enabling much greater
• Dynamic network slicing, for bulky backpacks or satellite dishes. production agility, as well as intelligent use
in combination with Quality on With the latest 5G-connected cameras they of limited network resources. These key
Demand (QoD) APIs, can enable simply turn up, connect to the 5G network, aspects have been demonstrated in
live media production over mobile request the service they need and commercial environments.
networks, delivering a great user are ready to go.
experience in a cost-efficient way. The ability to integrate 5G-enabled
cameras into outdoor broadcasts
and indoor studio settings is highly
Sony’s mission to “support the dreams attractive for TV news reporters, sport and
of creators with the power of technology” music productions, reality TV and TV studio
means it continually works with new and operators. The need for cabling is greatly This article was written in
disruptive technologies that can enhance reduced, resulting in more flexible content collaboration with Sony, a creative
entertainment businesses across video, creation and production, and faster entertainment company.
music, games and pictures. Technology time-to-audience with new and
advancement extends from the device enhanced experiences.
itself, through the network, into the Sony has been showcasing a range
datacenter and AI infrastructure. In this of products, solutions and workflows,
technological ecosystem, the end-to-end along the theme of “creativity connected”,
reliability offered by 5G standalone (SA) designed to fulfil the goal of fueling new
is a game changer. methods, tools and possibilities for media
The evolution of mobile network creators. Whether for broadcasters,
capabilities – particularly differentiated photographers or private users, 5G
connectivity, resource allocation and connectivity is one of the key pillars in
collection of network insights via network changing the landscape of media creation
APIs – allows reliable connectivity and collaboration.
capabilities to be embedded into workflows
and applications. Workflows manage how
creators move, share, store, review and
work on media. Network APIs can simplify
and improve these flows, enabling further With the latest 5G-connected cameras, videographers
innovation for creativity and entertainment.
It enables Sony to focus on its purpose and
and photographers can simply arrive, connect to 5G,
technology, and allows the people using request the service they need and be ready to go.
Sony’s products to live in the moment.
25 Ericsson Mobility Report | June 2025

Enhanced creative
experiences
Photojournalism
Regardless of the network traffic generated by almost
30,000 fans inside the 3Arena in south Stockholm, two
Bildbyrån photographers had guaranteed continuous 5G SA
connectivity via a network slice on Three Sweden’s network.
This allowed the photographers to instantly send
high-definition action shots from pitch side to the
Bildbyrån offices and media outlet partners.

Photo by Simon Hastegård, Bildbyrån.

Independent broadcasters
During a major industry event this year, Fierce Networks TV
leveraged a 5G connected broadcasting camera running over a
slice from Telefónica’s commercial 5G SA network. This allowed
the content producer to share the latest industry news in real time
with their viewers. The reliable mobile connection over 5G gave
them the freedom and agility to deliver a better TV experience.
The solution enabled simultaneous editing, providing a fast
turnaround and production online, and in so doing changed the
creative possibilities and economics for smaller productions.

Multi-camera broadcasters
TV2 in Denmark evaluated 5G capabilities during the
production of the daily “Go’ aften Live” evening show,
from its studio in central Copenhagen. API-driven
orchestration ensured the broadcast signal was given priority
on its private 5G network. The broadcast included pictures
taken via 5G-enabled cameras and provided video quality
that matched the high standards required for prime-time live
production. Network API-driven differentiated connectivity
that provides deterministic performance characteristics
creates a foundation from which it is possible to transform
creativity and entertainment.
26 Ericsson Mobility Report | June 2025

5G for media production Figure 19: Network throughput rates

Setting up 5G-enabled wireless
cameras and establishing a reliable and Video quality Raw video Compression ratio Compressed video
deterministic connection is challenging.
Bandwidth demands are high, with HD 1.5 Gbps 1/60 25 Mbps
broadcast-quality HD and 4K requiring
12 Gbps for raw 4K video footage. 4K 12 Gbps 1/200 60 Mbps
This is where encoders and decoders
play a crucial role in managing video
compression to reach significantly lower Business-enabling • Private 5G networks:
network throughput requirements, network capabilities Private 5G networks such as those
without reducing quality or introducing The ability of the 5G network to move from within stadiums or broadcast centers
delay in the workflows. Figure 19 shows best effort to deterministic performance offer fully controlled bandwidth
the throughput rates required to secure characteristics creates this solid foundation independent of usage on the public
a reliable broadcast. for innovation, bringing new possibilities network. These networks still require
To ensure a great broadcast for the photojournalist or videographer. the advanced 5G capabilities to
experience for producers, these throughput Some of the key enhancements within the manage network resource allocations
rates need to be guaranteed. Sony is 5G networks that are enabling this include: and integration of capabilities into
able to leverage 5G differentiated • Uplink performance: workflows via network APIs.
connectivity with its reliable and Recent developments within the 5G
secure connectivity, to deliver both high standards and future releases have Collaborative innovation
throughput and low-latency requirements focused on the ability to increase uplink The recent developments of the 5G SA
for HD live broadcast use cases. The ability performance. The ability for a network network, linked with the development of
to dynamically prioritize network resources user to reliably and programmatically 5G connected transmitters and encoders,
to on-air wireless cameras within the simplify their work, reducing costs have established an ecosystem that is
reserved network slice enables unequalled and complexities in day-to-day tasks, ready for the transformational possibilities
production agility without compromising establishes an immediate and tangible for connected creativity. This will change
broadcast quality. value. In the case of photographers, the economics and creative possibilities
For many larger productions, media producers or digital creators, the in media production, for both larger
broadcasting requires a multi-camera opportunity is here and now. As these broadcasters with multiple cameras
setup to deliver an immersive media services are made more readily available and smaller independent producers
experience for the consumer. However, the next wave of digital enablement will with a single camera. Wider adoption
for the economics to work in terms of emerge, with reliable uplink capacity is dependent on the evolution of 5G
radio resource utilization on the network being the cornerstone of that shift. networks to support the latest capabilities
side and costs to the broadcaster, it is • Differentiated connectivity: and the exposure of network APIs to
not desirable to have multiple cameras This represents a game-changing further enhance the ease of access and
running simultaneous live feeds. This is opportunity. Not only can photographers integration into workflows.
where dynamic QoD programmability is and videographers be provided with While entertainment on the move is
required to switch between cameras as a prioritized feed on the 5G network, not new, with a multitude of offerings
they go live, ensuring a seamless but the value of these capabilities available, highly immersive online
experience while allowing off-air cameras extends into creator and consumer experiences have been severely limited by
to back off and significantly reduce impact sectors. Reliable and consistent the networks’ ability to meet the demands
on the network. The switching needs to be mobile connectivity with deterministic required to consistently deliver the user
driven in real time by the producer, as an characteristics is an enabler for experience. Differentiated connectivity
integral component of the production innovation in multiple sectors. dramatically changes this situation.
solution. Global standard network APIs • Network APIs: As these network capabilities become
with 5G differentiated connectivity are Allowing developers to easily access widely available, the ecosystem will expand
transformational to the media industry to advanced 5G capabilities provided to take advantage. Here, success will also
enable wide area software-defined media by service providers. This unlocks the be dependent on enabling dynamic and
solutions. Programmable 5G networks opportunity to develop new enhanced tailored charging models made possible
integrated with these media orchestration applications and services. The ability to via the integration of network APIs into
platforms allow both wired and seamlessly integrate capabilities into platforms and applications.
wireless cameras to be managed, as well as applications and workflows brings a Sony has high expectations from mobile
maintaining high-quality, uninterrupted fundamental shift in the ways in which network operators for exposing network
and reliable broadcasts. these capabilities can be applied. In the APIs, enabling seamless integration of
The combination of both private and broadcast cases it is this integration that connectivity solutions into workflows,
public 5G networks provides flexibility and makes the economics of multi-camera further driving innovation in creativity
freedom for media creators and producers broadcasts a reality. and entertainment.
to explore and innovate.

Sony sees differentiated connectivity as a

transformative opportunity, underscoring the
importance of worldwide industry collaboration
to achieve these advancements.
27 Ericsson Mobility Report | June 2025

Enhancing connectivity
beyond best effort

Service providers across many markets are

exploring new commercial opportunities by offering
differentiated connectivity services to consumers,
enterprises and public authorities.

Service providers frequently adjust service Currently, there are several areas featuring
Key insights plan structures, occasionally implementing commercialized offerings that utilize
significant updates to the available options. network slicing.
• Service providers are leveraging Consumers are accustomed to adapting The broadcast and video production
the new capabilities that 5G to new service plans, which presents an industry, which includes the likes of
standalone (SA) brings by offering opportunity to continually introduce and broadcasters, journalists and influencers,
differentiated connectivity services. refine offerings to enhance their appeal needs fast and seamless transmission of
• Differentiated connectivity services and relevance for this market segment. images or videos, even during periods of
are offered across various use In contrast, addressing the enterprise high network traffic load. There have
cases, including broadcast/video segment is more challenging when it comes been 16 cases in 14 countries identified
production, point of sale systems, to modifying offerings, as existing contracts in this area, with more than one-third
events/arenas, gaming, and service level agreements (SLAs) can of them fully commercial.
Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), restrict flexibility. Large scale events and arenas often
VPN, and enterprise productivity. create a heavy load on networks. There are
• Enhancing connectivity beyond best New service opportunities based on many different use cases covering both
effort necessitates a comprehensive differentiated connectivity consumers and enterprise customers
approach to targeting use cases as Until recently, there were limited ways for that benefit from reliable and consistent
well as identifying key moments service providers to differentiate their connectivity, including event staff
and locations where deterministic connectivity service offerings beyond speed communication, ticket validation, on-site
and reliable performance is needed. tiers and/or data volumes. With the surveillance and fans streaming or
introduction of unlimited data plans which watching premium content. Deployments
disconnect revenue from traffic growth, have been made by eight service providers
More than 340 service providers have speed becomes the sole available in six markets, offering one or more
launched commercial 5G services, and connectivity related parameter. This does connectivity services targeting use cases at
around 70 have deployed or launched not imply a lack of differentiation options, events, most of them commercial.
5G SA. Service providers are now actively only that service providers need to rely Frequent use of point of sales terminals
promoting it, using terms like “5G+,” “SA,” or on alternative mechanisms for service is also associated with large-scale events,
“standalone” in their data plans. In several differentiation and segmentation. with many visitors eager to purchase food,
markets, service providers are also going To date, data plans have been bundled drinks and coffee. The differentiated
beyond traditional “generation” marketing, with third-party services such as antivirus connectivity services allow payment
leveraging the new capabilities that 5G SA packages, music or video streaming terminals to process transactions with
brings by offering new connectivity plans, subscriptions and other types of secure and stable connections.
typically based on network slicing. value-added services, enhancing the Gaming is another use case that
In the context of traditional data plan overall offering. is highly sensitive to latency and the
offerings, approximately 99 percent of The subscription model, along with the emerging offerings promise significantly
surveyed service providers1 offer some form bundling of extra services, has proven to be reduced latency along with a more
of data bucket plan. Meanwhile, around 56 successful and is anticipated to attract stable experience.
percent provide one or more unlimited data consumers in the future. However, the FWA services with minimum bandwidth
packages to their users (see Figure 20). introduction of 5G SA, and technologies guarantees have been introduced in a
Regional differences are notable, with such as network slicing, User equipment few markets, catering to both consumers
unlimited offerings most prevalent in Route Selection Policy (URSP), network and businesses.
Western Europe, where about 87 percent of programmability and the possibility to Network slicing is used as an end-to-end
service providers include unlimited options expose network APIs, introduces new tool to enable the fast provisioning of services
in their plan structures. opportunities and paves the way for like internet security, where all user traffic is
differentiating connectivity. safeguarded by a next-generation firewall
within the service provider’s network.

1
Ericsson study of retail packages offered by 299 mobile communication service providers worldwide, April 2025.
28 Ericsson Mobility Report | June 2025

Virtual private networks (VPNs) are users at big events, such as concerts solutions from individual customers to
increasingly being deployed through and sports gatherings, regard quality a broader customer base. Once the first
network slicing, where connectivity of experience (QoE) while using mobile use cases have been validated, service
performance related (such as throughput applications as the primary factor providers can replicate and scale their
or latency) and non-performance related affecting their overall event experience, offerings. The go-to-market strategies and
(like security) enhancements are applied with a tenfold greater impact compared deployment capabilities developed for one
to the connectivity service offerings. to network speed. This underscores the use place can typically be adapted and
Examples include ensuring minimum importance of delivering the right app reused in others.
bandwidth levels to facilitate seamless experience to users at the moments and Service providers will need time to learn
video conferencing and providing local situations when they value it most. how to effectively market and sell these
breakout capabilities for IoT services. There are applications and use cases new offerings. For example, learnings from
that are business critical and that work one service provider when selling service
Provide users with the optimal fine most of the time in a well-performing packages “in the moment” is that when
experience at their most valued moments network when there is no congestion. they gained the possibility to advertise
The emergence of generic network However, it is only with the tools a package directly on the phone via a
performance boosters in some markets associated with differentiated pop-up within a partner application,
gives customers a choice to purchase connectivity that it becomes possible to their sales numbers soared. Remarkably,
an improved level of performance as an provide guaranteed-performance SLAs. 95 percent of their subscribers for that
add-on to their existing service plans, solution came through that single sales
or as a bundle on top-tier service plans. Expanding connectivity offerings channel, making it 20 times more efficient
The primary risk associated with this type beyond best effort than in-store, social media, web or any of
of offering is that, in most cases, users will The market is evolving, as an expanding their other available sales channels.
not perceive any noticeable improvement ecosystem and leading service providers Through interviews and discussions with
in performance. This is because they might explore innovative use cases and new various service providers, it has become
not be utilizing an application that requires monetization opportunities by offering clear that the shift they have undertaken –
a specific performance improvement, differentiated connectivity services. Service or are currently undertaking – represents a
or they may not be in a situation where providers are learning how to effectively significant change in mindset. When
a performance improvement would be market and sell these new services. This moving beyond selling best-effort
beneficial. As a result, users may not process involves identifying use cases connectivity, they must determine which
see any value in continuing with the with significant market potential and use cases to start with, and which
service. However, a study by Ericsson strategizing ways to transform them into application categories to target.
ConsumerLab2 reveals that smartphone mass-market offerings, as well as scaling Additionally, they must identify the specific
situations and locations on which to focus.

Figure 20: Number of service providers per type of offering

Q2 2023 Q4 2023 Q2 2024 Q4 2024 Q2 2025

Service providers using speed tiers in conjunction with each offering

306 304 305

297 295

245
121

241 241 242 242

120
120

118

120

212
202
194 193
187
185 182
179 179 179 176 178 176 176
173
166 169 169
164
159 158 159
99

157
88

153
148 147 149 147
93

137
92

132
92
71

86
74
77
73
185

185
184

179

175

67 65 66
60
114

54
113
100
95
90
88

80
74
60
59

Buckets Unlimited Service based Off peak Device based FWA Family and Triple/quad 5G
shared plans play

2
Ericsson, “5G: Meeting consumer demands at big events” (March 2025).
29 Ericsson Mobility Report | June 2025

Differentiated connectivity services for enterprises and consumers

There are two main market segments Introducing more stringent For this wholesale segment, offering
for a service provider to address, performance-based SLAs is also differentiated connectivity through
enterprises and consumers, both with a fundamental step for service network APIs to the broader eco-system
their own opportunities and challenges. providers looking to climb the enterprise is an emerging opportunity.
But as can be seen by many of the cases value chain and unlock opportunities Service providers can also benefit
already in the market, there are different beyond connectivity: Business solutions from the possibility of segmenting
approaches and tactics that could be related to security, cloud and IoT. offerings based on geographical location:
considered when offering differentiated This requires a proactive, consultative • Local areas: In places like event
connectivity services for these segments. sales approach where the focus is on venues, airports and campuses, there
The advancements in 5G SA understanding long-term needs and are opportunities to offer consistent,
features, combined with technologies demonstrating how the solution ensures premium connectivity for a variety of
like network slicing, URSP and network reliability in moments that matter. use cases and ensure that network
programmability, offer service providers performance meets the demands
a toolbox to deliver differentiated Consumer segment: The right moment of numerous users simultaneously.
connectivity services, and expand For the consumer segment, the strategy • Cities or nationwide: Reliable,
their existing volume-based offerings involves presenting the offer at the predictable connectivity is crucial for
(including data tiers, speed exact moment the consumer is most the seamless operation of enterprise
tiers and shared plans) with more willing to buy. This may be at big events services that span wide areas, such as
experience-based connectivity models. when consumers want to video stream payment terminals across locations,
These new models put the value of to family or friends, or at airports when fleet management or public safety
connectivity services at center stage. they want to download a film just operations. Gamers is another
before boarding. This approach relies consumer segment where a network
Enterprise segment: on visibility, timing and tapping into slice delivering low-lag experience
The planned moment spontaneous purchasing behaviors. could be of high value.
Selling premium connectivity solutions There is a third, emerging
to enterprises has similarities with market segment for differentiated By better understanding the needs
the concept of ensuring operational connectivity services – the wholesale and sales drivers from these different
success – connectivity must and should or business-to-business-to-consumer segments, service providers can create
work. Examples could include a premium segment. Here, the main value for the distinct connectivity offerings and know
FWA link over 5G with a service level consumer is the service or product when the right moment is to sell them.
agreement (SLA) to a construction site, purchased through different apps. Differentiated connectivity allows
or a premium and secure cellular link This may be apps for banking, events both consumer and enterprise
for broadcast companies that equips or commuting. In this case, predictable, customers to go from knowing that
live TV cameras with 5G modems. This reliable and secure connectivity is part their connectivity often works (best
is largely about supporting enterprises of the app experience itself. This means effort performance) to being assured
with secure and reliable connectivity for that the sales approach has more that it works (predictable and reliable
planned events when communication similarities to an enterprise sale, as the performance) when it matters.
needs to work regardless of how intense value lies more in application service
data traffic in the area might be. providers’ productivity improvement.

Figure 21: Addressing different market segments with differentiated connectivity

Enterprise segment Consumer segment Wholesale

Customer need and Predictable and reliable connectivity Improved and new Enhanced performance and
end-user value for critical tasks when and where connectivity experiences. experience for specific apps
it is needed. and situations.

Local area use case Broadcasting at venues, asset Fixed Wireless Access. Bundled app performance with
examples tracking at warehouses, virtual Passenger experiences at airports. event tickets, airline apps with
private networks for temporary Premium experiences at events. premium content.
sites etc.

City or nationwide Transport, public safety Mobile cloud gaming, Gaming apps, commuting
offerings and logistical operations etc. video calling etc. apps, banking apps etc.

Sales approach “Assurance and productivity.” “Offer when willingness “Ensuring premium customer
mindset to buy exists.” experience for specific apps.”
30 Ericsson Mobility Report | June 2025

Significant shift in
mobile traffic patterns

Though a large proportion of traffic is still generated by a

minor share of all subscribers, application usage changed
across all subscriber clusters between 2020 and 2024.

A doubling of subscribers with 20 and 50 GB per month, which more

Key insights data consumption between than doubled its share, rising from around
20 and 50 GB per month 3 percent in 2020 to 6 percent in 2024.
• Traffic distribution is highly Looking at the traffic changes between The increase in the number of subscribers
uneven across subscriber clusters 2020 and 2024, the share of traffic for consuming more than 20 GB per month is
with different monthly data subscribers consuming less than 10 GB per thought to be a result of more affordable
consumption. In a sampled month has fallen from almost 40 percent in service plans with increased data allowances,
network, subscribers using over 2020 to around 20 percent in 2024, while migrating subscribers to higher-tier data
20 GB per month constituted only the traffic share of subscribers consuming plans, as well as the increased consumption
about 10 percent of all subscribers, more than 20 GB per month has increased of data-intense content like video.
but accounted for 65 percent from 44 to 64 percent over the same period. Between 2020 and 2024, this network
of the total traffic. This strong traffic increase is also experienced an annual traffic growth
• Between 2020 and 2024, the cloud reflected in the growing share of subscribers of approximately 50 percent, despite
storage, video and audio traffic consuming more than 20 GB per month, a relatively stable number of users.
types saw the largest increases in which increased from around 4 percent to This trend suggests that the surge in
their shares, while file sharing and 9 percent between 2020 and 2024. The data traffic is primarily fueled by existing
web browsing experienced the strongest growth in share of subscribers users consuming increasingly more data,
most significant decline. was in the cluster that consumes between rather than an expanding user base.
• Mobile gaming increased its
traffic share by 8 percent, yet Figure 22: European service provider: Subscriber and
it still represents only about traffic volume shares of different subscriber clusters
1.5 percent of the total traffic.
Light Moderate Medium Heavy Intense Extreme

One-tenth of subscribers generate 2020

around 65 percent of traffic
The distribution of traffic is highly uneven Subscriber share

across subscriber clusters with varying

monthly data consumption. A relatively
small number of subscribers generate the
majority of the total mobile traffic.
In the sampled European service provider’s Traffic share
4G/5G network in 2024, subscribers
consuming over 20 GB per month
represented only around 10 percent of all 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
subscribers, but generated 65 percent of the
total traffic. On the other hand, subscribers
with a monthly data consumption of over 2024
50 GB represented only around 3 percent of
all subscribers, but generated 37 percent Subscriber share
of the total traffic. Subscribers consuming
less than 5 GB per month made up the
majority of all subscribers, representing
73 percent, but generated only 10 percent
of the total traffic. Traffic share

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
31 Ericsson Mobility Report | June 2025

Figure 23: European service provider: Traffic volume per application type of different subscriber clusters

Video Social networking Web browsing Communication Cloud storage services

Software download File sharing Gaming Audio Other

100%

90%

80%

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%
2020 2024 2020 2024 2020 2024 2020 2024 2020 2024 2020 2024 2020 2024
<5 GB 5–10 GB 10–20 GB 20–50 GB 50–100 GB >100 GB All
Light Moderate Medium Heavy Intense Extreme

When analyzing the application mix The social networking share of traffic
and the share of traffic in the sampled appears to have decreased, but that is Methodology
European service provider´s network, mostly due to the reclassification of traffic The data consumption comparative
it should be considered that the sample from social networking platforms, like analysis between 2020 and 2024 is
might not represent the absolute shares TikTok, Instagram and Facebook, compared based on data from traffic
of the total traffic, as some traffic could to 2020. For example, short videos (Reels) measurements in a commercial
not be classified. For example, the absolute viewed while scrolling in the Facebook 4G/5G network in Europe.
share of video traffic is presumably higher app are categorized as social networking, The analysis is restricted to data
across all subscriber clusters, as part of it whereas uploading videos from the camera consumption on devices over cellular
is included in the category titled “Other”.1 or phone gallery is categorized as video. networks, and subscriber groups
However, it remains true that analyzing In 2024, the social networking traffic share have been clustered based on their
the relative changes in application mix is highest among subscriber clusters with monthly data usage.
across subscriber clusters provides insights data consumption less than 10 GB per month,
into changes in application usage between where it is around 8 percent of all traffic.
2020 and 2024. Web browsing saw an overall drop The software download share of traffic
Video traffic has become increasingly of 50 percent from a 14 percent share has the highest share among subscribers
dominant, having had the strongest of traffic in 2020 to 7 percent in 2024.2 with data consumption more than
growth across all subscriber clusters from Among subscribers with data consumption 100 GB per month, where it accounts
2020 to 2024. The share of video traffic less than 5 GB per month, web browsing for over 6 percent of traffic. Among
growth in the network was 50 percent declined from 20 percent of traffic in 2020 subscribers with data consumption lower
over that period. to just 13 percent in 2024. A similar trend than 10 GB per month, the traffic share for
Aside from video, communication can be observed across all subscriber software download is well below 1 percent,
traffic, which predominantly came from clusters with a 30–50 percent decline in but has doubled its share since 2020.
Snapchat, WhatsApp, and Facebook, web browsing traffic share over the period. Gaming’s3 share of traffic decreased
has seen consistent growth across all Cloud storage services almost tripled among subscribers with data consumption
subscriber clusters, increasing its share in traffic share across all subscriber clusters, more than 50 GB per month, but increased
by around 26 percent to reach about a going from around 1 percent to 3 percent, its share by more than 30 percent among
5 percent share of all traffic in 2024. with the highest shares among subscribers subscribers with data consumption less
The most significant growth is observed in with data consumption less than than 10 GB per month. The overall increase
the subscriber cluster that consumes more 10 GB per month. of gaming’s share of traffic was 8 percent,
than 100 GB per month, which doubled Audio services doubled its overall traffic reaching a 1.5 percent share of all
its traffic share over the same period. share from 0.4 percent to around 0.8 percent, traffic in 2024.
However, communication traffic continues with the strongest growth and highest File sharing has decreased its share of
to make up a larger proportion among shares – just above 1 percent – among traffic across all subscriber clusters, with
lower-usage subscriber clusters that subscribers with data consumption less a 60 percent decrease in its share of all
consume less than 10 GB per month. than 10 GB per month. traffic from 1.2 to 0.5 percent in 2024.

1
Includes uncategorized traffic and traffic types such as e-mail, advertising, location services, presence, P2P TV and unclassified traffic.
2
Due to signature updates and actual user behavior change.
3
Includes both app-based and cloud gaming.
32 Ericsson Mobility Report | June 2025

Methodology

Forecast methodology This includes both indoor (desktop and More detailed measurements are made in a
Ericsson makes forecasts on a regular basis window-mounted) and outdoor (rooftop select number of commercial networks with
to support internal decisions and planning, and wall-mounted) CPE. It does not the purpose of understanding how mobile
as well as market communications. The include portable battery-based Wi-Fi data traffic evolves. No subscriber data is
forecast time in the Ericsson Mobility Report routers or dongles. included in these measurements. Please
is six years and this moves forward one note that the Ericsson Mobility Report data
year in the November report each year. Rounding of figures traffic forecast, both global and regional,
All estimates in Ericsson Mobility Report As figures are rounded, summing up data represents the estimated traffic volume in all
are for the month of December each year. may result in slight differences from the networks over the duration of one month in
The subscription and traffic forecast actual totals. In tables with key figures, December. Traffic (in terms of throughput)
baseline is established using historical subscriptions have been rounded to in high-traffic areas will be much higher
data from various sources, validated the nearest 10th of a million. However, than the average traffic.
with Ericsson internal data, including when used in highlights in the articles,
measurements in customer networks. subscriptions are usually expressed in full Population coverage
Future developments are estimated billions or to one decimal place. Compound Population coverage is estimated using a
based on macroeconomic trends, user annual growth rate (CAGR) is calculated on database of regional population and territory
trends, market maturity and technological the underlying, unrounded numbers and is distribution, based on population density.
advances. Other sources include industry then rounded to the nearest full percentage This is then combined with proprietary
analyst reports, together with internal figure. Traffic volumes are expressed to data on the installed base of radio base
assumptions and analyses. two significant figures. stations (RBS), together with estimated
Historical data may be revised if the coverage per RBS for each of six population
underlying data changes – for example, Subscribers density categories (from metro to
if service providers report updated There is a large difference between the wilderness). Based on this, the portion
subscription figures. numbers of subscriptions and subscribers. of each area that is covered by a certain
This is because many subscribers have technology can be estimated, as well as the
Mobile subscriptions several subscriptions. Reasons for this percentage of the population it represents.
Mobile subscriptions include all mobile could include users lowering traffic costs by By aggregating these areas, world
technologies. Subscriptions are defined using optimized subscriptions for different population coverage per technology
by the most advanced technology that the types of calls, maximizing coverage can be calculated.
mobile phone and network are capable of. and having different subscriptions for
Our mobile subscriptions by technology mobile PCs/tablets and mobile phones. Disclaimer
findings divide subscriptions according to In addition, it takes time before inactive The content of this document is based
the highest-enabled technology they can subscriptions are removed from service on a number of theoretical dependencies
be used for. LTE (4G) subscriptions, in most provider databases. Consequently, and assumptions. Ericsson shall not be
cases, also include the possibility for the subscription penetration can be above bound by or liable for any statement,
subscription to access 3G (WCDMA/HSPA) 100 percent, which is the case in many representation, undertaking or omission
and 2G (GSM or CDMA in some markets) countries today. However, in some made in this document. Furthermore,
networks. A 5G subscription is counted as developing regions, it is common Ericsson may, at any time, change the
such when associated with a device that for several people to share one contents of this document at its sole
supports New Radio as specified in 3GPP subscription, for example via a discretion and shall not be liable for the
Release 15, and connected to a 5G-enabled family- or community-shared phone. consequences of such changes.
network. Mobile broadband includes radio
access technologies HSPA (3G), LTE (4G), Mobile network traffic
5G, CDMA2000 EV-DO, TD-SCDMA and Ericsson regularly performs traffic
Mobile WiMAX. WCDMA without HSPA measurements in around 100 live networks
and GPRS/EDGE are not included. covering all major regions of the world. These
FWA is defined as a connection that measurements form a representative base for
provides broadband access through calculating worldwide total mobile network
mobile network enabled customer traffic. Mobile network data traffic also
premises equipment (CPE). includes traffic generated by FWA services.

Ericsson Mobility Visualizer

Explore actual and forecast data from the Ericsson Mobility Report Find out more
in our interactive web application. It contains a range of data types, Scan the QR code, or visit
including mobile subscriptions, mobile broadband subscriptions, ericsson.com/mobility-visualizer
mobile data traffic, traffic per application type, VoLTE statistics,
monthly data usage per device and an IoT connected device
forecast. Data can be exported and charts generated for publication
subject to the inclusion of an Ericsson source attribution.
33 Ericsson Mobility Report | June 2025

Glossary
2G: 2nd generation mobile networks GSMA: GSM Association Neural radiance fields: A deep learning
(GSM, CDMA 1x) method for creating 3D representations
HSPA: High speed packet access of scenes from 2D images
3G: 3rd generation mobile networks
(WCDMA/HSPA, TD-SCDMA, CDMA IoT: Internet of Things NR: New Radio as defined
EV-DO, Mobile WiMAX) by 3GPP Release 15
Kbps: Kilobits per second
3GPP: 3rd Generation Partnership Project NR-DC: NR-NR Dual connectivity
LTE: Long-Term Evolution
4G: 4th generation mobile networks NSA 5G: Non-standalone 5G is a 5G Radio
(LTE, LTE-A) MB: Megabyte, 106 bytes Access Network (RAN) that operates on a
legacy 4G/LTE core
4K: In video, a horizontal display Mbps: Megabits per second
resolution of approximately 4,000 pixels. PB: Petabyte, 1015 bytes
A resolution of 3840 × 2160 (4K UHD) is MHz: Megahertz, 106 hertz
used in television and consumer media. (unit of frequency) RedCap: Reduced capability
In the movie projection industry,
4096 × 2160 (DCI 4K) is dominant MIMO: Multiple Input Multiple Output SA: Standalone
is the use of multiple transmitters and
5G: 5th generation mobile networks receivers (multiple antennas) on wireless Short-range IoT: Segment that largely
(IMT-2020) devices for improved performance consists of devices connected by
unlicensed radio technologies, with
AI: Artificial intelligence mmWave: Millimeter waves are radio a typical range of up to 100 meters,
frequency waves in the extremely high such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Zigbee
AR: Augmented reality. An interactive frequency range (30–300GHz) with
experience of a real-world environment wavelengths between 10mm and 1mm. Sunsetting: The process of closing down
whereby the objects that reside in the In a 5G context, millimeter waves refer older mobile technologies
real world are “augmented” by to frequencies between 24 and 71GHz
computer-generated information (the two frequency ranges 26GHz and TD-SCDMA: Time division-synchronous
28GHz are included in millimeter range code-division multiple access
ARPU: Average revenue per user by convention)
TDD: Time division duplex
CAGR: Compound annual growth rate Mobile broadband: Mobile data service
using radio access technologies including VoIP: Voice over IP (Internet Protocol)
CAMARA: An open-source project 5G, LTE, HSPA, CDMA2000 EV-DO,
to develop APIs. Mobile WiMAX and TD-SCDMA VoLTE: Voice over LTE as defined by
GSMA IR.92 specification
Cat-M1: A 3GPP standardized low-power Mobile PC: Defined as laptop or desktop
wide-area (LPWA) cellular technology PC devices with built-in cellular modem VR: Virtual reality
for IoT connectivity or external USB dongle
WCDMA: Wideband code-division
CDMA: Code-division multiple access Mobile router: A device with a cellular multiple access
network connection to the internet and
EB: Exabyte, 1018 bytes Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection to one or Wide-area IoT: Segment made up
several clients (such as PCs or tablets) of devices using cellular connections
FDD: Frequency division duplex or unlicensed low-power technologies
MR: Mixed reality. Immersive technology like Sigfox and LoRa
FWA: Fixed wireless access in which elements from both the real
world and a virtual environment are fully XR: Extended reality. An umbrella category
Gaussian splatting: A 3D rendering interactive with each other for virtual or combined real/virtual
technique that uses millions of tiny, environments, which includes AR,
translucent ellipsoids (or “splats”) NB-IoT: A 3GPP standardized low-power VR and MR
to represent a scene wide-area (LPWA) cellular technology for
IoT connectivity
GB: Gigabyte, 109 bytes
Net Zero: Defined in ITU standards as a
Gbps: Gigabits per second future state where all emissions that can
be reduced are reduced, with like-for-like
GHz: Gigahertz, 109 hertz (unit of frequency) or permanent removals applied by
carbon-removal technologies to balance
GSA: Global mobile Suppliers Association
the remaining emissions
GSM: Global System for
Mobile Communications
34 Ericsson Mobility Report | June 2025

Key figures

Global key figures Forecast CAGR*

Mobile subscriptions 2023 2024 2030 2024–2030 Unit
Worldwide mobile subscriptions 8,510 8,660 9,430 1% million
•S  martphone subscriptions 6,930 7,130 8,290 3% million
• Mobile PC, tablet and mobile
router subscriptions 260 290 530 11% million
• Mobile broadband subscriptions 7,400 7,710 9,050 3% million
• Mobile subscriptions, GSM/EDGE-only 1,010 870 390 -13% million
• Mobile subscriptions, WCDMA/HSPA 670 550 270 -11% million
• Mobile subscriptions, LTE 5,180 4,930 2,460 -11% million
• Mobile subscriptions, 5G 1,620 2,300 6,290 18% million
Mobile subscriptions, 5G standalone 920 1,270 3,660 19% million
• Fixed Wireless Access connections 130 160 350 14% million
Fixed broadband connections 1,530 1,610 1,990 4% million
Mobile data traffic
• Data traffic per smartphone 17 19 37 11% GB/month
• Data traffic per mobile PC 23 26 40 8% GB/month
• Data traffic per tablet 13 16 27 10% GB/month
Total data traffic**
Mobile data traffic 106 123 280 15% EB/month
• Smartphones 104 121 274 15% EB/month
• Mobile PCs and routers 1.0 1.2 3.0 16% EB/month
•T ablets 0.9 1.0 2.3 15% EB/month
Fixed Wireless Access 31 41 151 24% EB/month
Total mobile network traffic 137 164 431 17% EB/month
Total fixed data traffic 330 380 710 11% EB/month

Regional key figures

Forecast CAGR*
Mobile subscriptions 2023 2024 2030 2024–2030 Unit
North America 440 450 480 1% million
Latin America 720 730 800 1% million
Western Europe 550 550 570 0% million
Central and Eastern Europe 560 560 560 0% million
North East Asia 2,210 2,260 2,380 1% million
China1 1,740 1,790 1,860 1% million
South East Asia and Oceania 1,160 1,180 1,290 1% million
India, Nepal and Bhutan 1,180 1,190 1,310 2% million
Middle East and North Africa 730 740 820 2% million
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)2 77 81 95 3% million
Sub-Saharan Africa 950 1,000 1,270 4% million
Forecast CAGR*
Smartphone subscriptions 2023 2024 2030 2024–2030 Unit
North America 380 390 400 0% million
Latin America 600 620 720 3% million
Western Europe 490 500 490 0% million
Central and Eastern Europe 450 480 530 1% million
North East Asia 2,080 2,140 2,270 1% million
China1 1,660 1,710 1,790 1% million
South East Asia and Oceania 970 1,000 1,160 2% million
India, Nepal and Bhutan 880 920 1,130 3% million
Middle East and North Africa 630 540 700 4% million
GCC2 66 70 85 3% million
Sub-Saharan Africa 460 540 890 9% million
35 Ericsson Mobility Report | June 2025

Regional key figures Forecast CAGR*

LTE subscriptions 2023 2024 2030 2024–2030 Unit
North America 170 130 40 -16% million
Latin America 530 530 230 -13% million
Western Europe 380 310 40 -29% million
Central and Eastern Europe 450 480 240 -11% million
North East Asia 1,200 1,020 330 -17% million
China1 880 720 170 -22% million
South East Asia and Oceania 910 930 570 -8% million
India, Nepal and Bhutan 730 620 230 -15% million
Middle East and North Africa 470 500 300 -8% million
GCC2 46 39 6 -26% million
Sub-Saharan Africa 335 410 470 2% million

Forecast CAGR*
5G subscriptions 2023 2024 2030 2024–2030 Unit
North America 257 316 440 6% million
Latin America 33 63 480 N/A million
Western Europe 142 227 530 15% million
Central and Eastern Europe 18 31 320 N/A million
North East Asia 938 1,178 2,020 9% million
China1 805 1,014 1,680 9% million
South East Asia and Oceania 61 111 630 N/A million
India, Nepal and Bhutan 135 290 980 23% million
Middle East and North Africa 35 67 500 N/A million
GCC2 26 37 86 15% million
Sub-Saharan Africa 5 11 400 N/A million
Forecast CAGR*
Data traffic per smartphone 2023 2024 2030 2024–2030 Unit
North America 19 22 43 12% GB/month
Latin America 11 13 29 14% GB/month
Western Europe 19 22 47 13% GB/month
Central and Eastern Europe 17 20 40 13% GB/month
North East Asia 19 20 36 10% GB/month
China1 19 21 37 10% GB/month
South East Asia and Oceania 17 19 38 12% GB/month
India, Nepal and Bhutan 29 32 62 11% GB/month
Middle East and North Africa 14 19 43 15% GB/month
GCC2 28 29 45 8% GB/month
Sub-Saharan Africa 4.6 5.0 14 19% GB/month

Forecast CAGR*
Total mobile data traffic 2023 2024 2030 2024–2030 Unit
North America 7.4 8.6 18 13% EB/month
Latin America 5.8 6.9 18 17% EB/month
Western Europe 8.4 9.9 21 13% EB/month
Central and Eastern Europe 5.9 7.2 16 14% EB/month
North East Asia 33 37 72 12% EB/month
China1 29 32 61 11% EB/month
South East Asia and Oceania 15 17 40 15% EB/month
India, Nepal and Bhutan 21 25 58 15% EB/month
Middle East and North Africa 7.8 9.1 27 20% EB/month
GCC2 1.5 1.6 3.1 12% EB/month
Sub-Saharan Africa 1.9 2.3 11 29% EB/month

1
These figures are also included in the figures for North East Asia.
2
These figures are also included in the figures for Middle East and North Africa.

* CAGR is calculated on unrounded figures.

** Figures are rounded (see methodology) and therefore summing up of rounded data may result in slight differences from the actual total.
36 Ericsson Mobility Report | June 2024

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