Global 6G subscriptions are forecast to reach 180-million by the end of 2031, excluding the early adoption of AI-enabled Internet of Things devices such as autonomous vehicles, smart glasses and drones.

The November 2025 ‘Ericsson Mobility Report’ shows that the 6G standardisation process is under way, with the first commercial launches of the technology driven by service providers in front-runner markets such as the US, Japan, South Korea, China, India and some Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

AI-native 6G networks, combined with new capabilities such as integrated sensing and communication, will enable entirely new use cases and classes of devices.

These advances will unlock new business opportunities for service providers, while use cases such as massive digital twinning, autonomous mobility and wide-area mixed reality are likely to gain broader commercial adoption, Ericsson outlines in the report.

Meanwhile, 5G subscriptions are expected to exceed 2.9- billion by the end of 2025, equating to about one-third of all current mobile subscriptions – an increase of about 600-million subscriptions year-on-year.

As the build-out of 5G continues, with around 360 networks launched worldwide, global 5G population coverage is expected to reach 60% by the end of the year, providing 5G coverage to an additional 400-million people.

Outside mainland China, coverage is projected to increase from 50% in 2025 to about 85% in 2031.

The highest 5G subscription penetration is expected to be in North America with 79%, followed by North East Asia at 61% and Western Europe and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries both at 55%.

By the end of 2031, global 5G subscriptions are forecast to reach 6.4-billion, accounting for two-thirds of all mobile subscriptions

Deployment of 5G Standalone (SA) by leading service providers will continue, and 5G SA subscriptions are projected to account for more than 4.1-billion in 2031, making up around 65% of all 5G subscriptions at that time.

Further, in 2025, 5G networks are expected to manage 43% of all mobile data, an increase from 34% last year. The ‘Ericsson Mobility Report’ forecasts this to increase to 83% in 2031.

As subscribers migrate to 5G, the number of 4G subscriptions continues to decline.

Globally, 5G is anticipated to overtake 4G as the dominant mobile access technology by subscription by the end of 2027, nine years after launch.