Global 5G subscriber growth soars in Q1 2025

Data from 5G Americas and Omdia reveals that global 5G connections reached 2.4 billion by the end of Q1 2025, with projections suggesting an increase to 8 billion by 2029 — representing over 94% of the forecast global population of 8.5 billion.

The data found that North America is continuing its leadership role in next-generation wireless connectivity, having reached 314 million 5G connections, or 83% of the population. Cellular data traffic, for all generations, hit 40 million terabytes, or 104.6 GB per person — up to 15 times higher than some regions. Looking ahead, North America’s 5G footprint is forecast to expand to 772 million connections by 2029, reaching a penetration rate of 197%.

“This kind of saturation signals not just consumer usage but significant enterprise and IoT growth,” said Viet Nguyen, President of 5G Americas. “North America isn’t just leading in 5G adoption — it’s setting the pace for industrial transformation, innovation and the future of connectivity.”

As of Q1 2025, globally there were 3.7 billion IoT connections, with this figure expected to rise to 4.9 billion by 2029. 5G is increasingly acting as the backbone for these IoT deployments — enabling mission‑critical use cases in smart factories, autonomous logistics, energy distribution and health care. This shift is driving demand for ultra‑reliable, low‑latency communications, fundamentally changing how cellular networks support the digital economy.

“Reaching 2.4 billion 5G connections worldwide demonstrates that 5G is not just a regional wave — it’s a global tidal shift, transforming industries, consumer behaviour and the very fabric of connectivity across continents,” said Kristin Paulin, Principal Analyst at Omdia.

The current global 5G penetration stands at 30%, with uptake expected to rise sharply as infrastructure expands and device affordability improves, particularly in markets such as Latin America, Asia and Africa. And with more than 366 commercial 5G networks deployed globally, the industry is entering a transformative phase. Standalone 5G is gaining traction, mid-band spectrum is fuelling high-capacity performance, and the adoption of 5G-enabled devices and services is accelerating across sectors.

Image credit: iStock.com/solarseven