South Korea topped a 2025 ranking of 5G download speeds with an average speed of Mbps, far ahead of second-placed Bulgaria at just short of Mbps. The global telecommunications industry is investing heavily in 5G infrastructure to meet the surging demand for faster and more reliable mobile connections.
Global 5G expansion and adoption
The rollout of 5G networks is accelerating worldwide, with an estimated billion 5G mobile subscriptions in 2024. This figure is expected to reach nearly billion by the end of the decade, surpassing 4G as the dominant mobile network technology. However, adoption rates vary significantly across regions, with North America leading at almost percent population coverage in 2023, followed by East Asia and the Pacific at around percent.
Impact on data consumption and connectivity
The adoption of 5G is accompanying substantial growth in mobile data consumption, with monthly traffic forecast to exceed exabytes by the end of the decade. This surge in data traffic is being driven by shifting consumption habits, including the use of data intensive artificial intelligence services, cloud technology, and content streaming.