According to the latest Ericsson Mobility Report, 5G coverage now reaches around 60% of the world. The expansion in 2025 alone was impressive. An additional 400 million people gained access to 5G, and 5G subscriptions reached 2.9 billion by the end of the year.

To put that into perspective, that’s about 30% of mobile subscriptions on the planet, so it’s already accounting for one-third of the global market share.

Why This Matters

Accessibility to mobile-first products is unlike anything we’ve ever seen. People from around the world can now use 5G to connect with mobile-first entertainment, retail, and digital services.

Take Zoom, for example. With a reliable 5G connection, users can join high-quality video meetings, collaborate in real time, and stay connected while on the move. Similarly, Amazon shoppers can browse products and complete purchases quickly without relying on a Wi-Fi network.

Niche products can take advantage of the same fast, low-latency networks to deliver responsive experiences to users wherever they are. For example, HTML5 mobile-first games have benefited significantly. Players can try Even Bigger Bananas 2 at Betfair, a title known for its HD graphics. 5G helps support these graphics and real-time interactions, ensuring a smooth experience for the user.

Enterprise infrastructure has also been transformed by 5G. 5G’s high capacity and lower latency are enabling use cases like autonomous logistics, smart manufacturing, remote surgery, and large-scale IoT developments.

Adding to this, 5G is undoubtedly closing the digital divide. With 5G covering more than half of the world, regions that were once underserved by mobile broadband now have a chance to capitalize on high-speed internet for the first time.

How Have They Managed This?

The rollout has been driven by a small number of companies, for example, Ericsson, Nokia, Huawei, ZTE, and Samsung Networks.

In total, around 360 5G networks have been launched globally, and approximately 300 communication service providers offer 5G worldwide.

The cost for such coverage has been huge. Global 5G capital expenditure is forecast to exceed $1 trillion cumulatively by the end of 2030. Between 2024 and 2030 alone, the industry will be investing about $600 billion in network rollouts.

What About 6G?

6G isn’t commercially available yet, but it’s deep in research and standardization.

The ITU has designated 6G as IMT-2030, with rollout to major markets, like North America and Western Europe, to be considered first.

The 3GPP, which is the industry body that defines mobile standards, is currently looking at the 6G technology specifications.

Once this is complete, it’ll be a major turning point for 6G as a potential mobile connectivity service.

The Future of Mobile Connectivity

In the next five years, we’ll see 5G complete its global rollout. Once complete, 6G will slowly come into the market after 3GPP has developed the technology specification for the new mobile connectivity.

With the expansion of 5G, more people will be making the switch from 4G to 5G. It’ll almost become the new 4G, which is the standard for most mobile service providers across the globe.

For consumers, businesses, and entire economies, this infrastructure will be a huge milestone for mobile connectivity. Faster speed, lower latency, and worldwide coverage will reshape how the world communicates, works, and entertains itself.

Platforms that are positioned to take on this influx of mobile-first users will certainly be the ones to capitalize on this opportunity the most.