Nigeria accounts for just 1% of the 3.1 billion global 5G subscriptions recorded as of March 2026, according to the newly released Ericsson Mobility Report. The report reveals that 162 million new 5G subscriptions were added in the first quarter of 2026 alone, pushing the total worldwide figure to 3.1 billion.
Nigeria’s 5G Penetration
Checks by The Guardian show that Nigeria’s 5G penetration stands at 14% coverage and 5% usage, as stated by the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida. The country has an estimated 30.8 million 5G connections, representing 0.99% (approximately 1%) of the global total. Nigeria launched 5G services commercially in September 2022, making the technology about four years old as of mid-2026.
Global Growth Projections
The Ericsson report, covering 2025 to 2031, forecasts that global 5G subscriptions will more than double to 6.4 billion by the end of 2031. Currently, 390 service providers have launched commercial 5G services, with over 90 of them deploying 5G Standalone (SA). By the end of 2025, 5G networks handled 48% of all mobile data traffic, a figure expected to rise to 85% by the end of 2031. Regions such as Western Europe, North America, North East Asia, and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are projected to achieve 5G adoption rates close to or above 90% by 2031.
Differentiated Connectivity and 5G SA
The report highlights that the number of commercial differentiated connectivity service offerings based on 5G SA network slicing has grown from 65 in November 2025 to 84 in June 2026. This indicates a shift from early adoption to mainstream commercialization. Erik Ekudden, Ericsson’s CTO and EMR Publisher, stated: “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. Mobile networks are no longer only about providing best-effort connectivity; they are becoming critical, intelligent infrastructure that meets diverse application needs.”
Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) Growth
Speed-based tariff plans for fixed wireless access (FWA) continue to gain traction. The share of FWA service providers offering services over 5G has reached 71%, up from 57% in June 2025, marking the largest yearly increase in four years. Speed-based tariff plans are now offered by 57% of FWA service providers, compared to 51% a year ago. New 5G FWA launches have occurred in Algeria, Argentina, Bangladesh, Morocco, Taiwan, Türkiye, and Vietnam. The strongest uptake for 5G FWA connections is in North America, the Nordics, GCC countries, and parts of Asia. However, growth in Latin America, Africa, and parts of Southeast Asia remains limited despite long-term potential.
Traffic Trends and AI Impact
The June 2026 Ericsson Mobility Report also notes changing user behavior, with uplink traffic growing faster than downlink for most service providers. In some cases, uplink growth is significantly higher, driven by smartphone communication apps, collaboration tools, user-generated content sharing, and cloud storage. Out of 55 service providers measured, 43 experienced higher uplink growth than downlink, and 17 had uplink growth more than 1.5 times higher. Ericsson’s scenario modeling suggests that additional AI traffic could result in uplink traffic being three times higher or more in 2031 compared to 2025. Network data traffic (mobile and FWA) grew 22% year-on-year in Q1 2026, exceeding expectations, mainly due to strong growth in India and North America.
6G Outlook
The report also reflects increasing industry focus on 6G, with standardization discussions underway. Early expectations include full support for integrated sensing and communication (ISAC), seamless integration between terrestrial and satellite networks to reduce coverage gaps, and a strong emphasis on energy efficiency, all driven by AI-native 6G. The first implementable 6G specifications are expected to be finalized by the end of 2028 or early 2029, with commercial 6G services anticipated around 2030. Early adopters are expected to include the U.S., China, Japan, South Korea, and GCC countries.
