GLOBAL 5G mobile subscriptions surpassed the three-billion mark in the first quarter of 2026 as communications service providers (CSPs) expanded standalone 5G services and prepared their networks for rising artificial intelligence (AI)-driven traffic, according to the latest Ericsson Mobility Report.
The June 2026 Ericsson Mobility Report said 162 million new 5G subscriptions were added during the first quarter, bringing the worldwide total to 3.1 billion. The report forecasts that figure will more than double to 6.4 billion by the end of 2031.
Around 390 CSPs have launched commercial 5G networks, including more than 90 offering 5G standalone (SA). Ericsson said 5G networks carried 48 percent of global mobile data traffic at the end of 2025 and are projected to account for 85 percent by 2031.
The report also highlighted continued momentum in Southeast Asia and Oceania, where 5G subscriptions are expected to rise from about 160 million in 2025 to approximately 670 million by 2031. Within the region, the Philippines was identified as one of the fastest-growing markets for 5G adoption.
Ericsson said differentiated connectivity services built on 5G standalone network slicing continued to expand. Commercial offerings worldwide increased from 65 to 84 since the previous edition of the Mobility Report, reflecting broader adoption of network slicing beyond early deployments.
"With the upcoming transition to physical AI, traffic patterns will fundamentally shift as we move from centralized models in data centers to distributed, autonomous AI agents embedded across our devices, vehicles and cities, commonly connected by 5G," Ericsson Chief Technology Officer Erik Ekudden said.
Ekudden said mobile networks were evolving beyond best-effort connectivity into "critical, intelligent infrastructure" capable of supporting diverse applications through technologies such as 5G standalone and network slicing.
The report also pointed to growing commercial interest in fixed wireless access (FWA), which uses mobile networks to deliver broadband connectivity. Seventy-one percent of FWA providers now offer services over 5G, up from 57 percent a year earlier, while 57 percent have adopted speed-based pricing.
In the Philippines, Ericsson said 5G FWA was emerging as a monetization opportunity by extending broadband access to fiber-constrained areas.
"What operators around the world have shown is that 5G can be both a growth engine and a monetization opportunity. Philippine operators can have confidence from those experiences — combining FWA and 5G Standalone to bridge the digital divide while building sustainable returns," said Daniel Ode, head of Ericsson for Singapore, Brunei and the Philippines.
Beyond subscriber growth, the report identified shifting network traffic patterns as a major trend. Ericsson found that uplink traffic — the data sent from devices to networks — was increasing faster than downlink traffic for most operators, driven by video sharing, cloud storage, collaboration applications and emerging AI services. Measurements across 55 service providers showed that 43 experienced faster uplink growth than downlink, while 17 recorded uplink growth rates more than 1.5 times those of downlink.
Ericsson's modeling suggests AI-enabled applications, including AI assistants, smart glasses, autonomous vehicles and connected industrial devices, could significantly increase uplink demand. Under a medium-adoption scenario, uplink traffic in 2031 could be three times higher than in 2025, requiring operators to redesign networks that have historically been optimized for downloads rather than uploads.
Global mobile network traffic grew 22 percent year-over-year during the first quarter of 2026, exceeding earlier expectations. Monthly mobile data usage per smartphone is forecast to increase from 22 gigabytes in 2025 to 42 gigabytes by 2031, while total mobile network traffic is expected to reach 515 exabytes per month by the end of the forecast period.
Ericsson said the convergence of AI, cloud computing and advanced mobile networks would increasingly shape enterprise digital transformation, making mobile connectivity a critical component of future AI deployments. The report noted that while enterprises view AI as essential, only a small proportion have fully scaled AI, cloud and advanced mobile technologies across their operations, presenting opportunities for service providers to offer integrated connectivity and AI-enabled services.
