Ericsson's June 2026 Mobility Report says global 5G subscriptions passed three billion during the first quarter of 2026, with 162 million new subscriptions added in that period alone.
More than 90 operators have launched 5G Standalone networks, enabling features such as network slicing and differentiated connectivity for enterprise customers.
The report also notes uplink traffic is growing faster than downlink for many carriers, driven by collaboration apps, user-generated content and cloud storage.
Source: Ericsson Mobility Report, June 16, 2026