Sub-Saharan Africa is forecast to have the fastest 5G subscription growth globally, rising from about 30-million in 2025 to about 370-million by 2031.

Total mobile subscriptions in sub-Saharan Africa are expected to reach 1.31-billion in 2031, up from 1.05-billion in 2025, according to the June 2026 edition of the ‘Ericsson Mobility Report’.

“The acceleration of 4G and 5G is a defining opportunity for Africa to leapfrog into the AI era. By transitioning away from legacy networks, we are building the foundation for a vibrant, inclusive digital economy. With the right collaborative investments in spectrum and policy frameworks, Africa is positioned to fully participate in, and benefit from, the AI boom,” says Ericsson West and Southern Africa VP and head Majda Lahlou Kassi.

This emerged as global 5G mobile subscriptions passed the three-billion mark during the first quarter of 2026 with the addition of 162-million new 5G subscriptions globally, a figure that is forecast to more than double to 6.4-billion by the end of 2031.

According to the report, 390 service providers have launched commercial 5G services to date. At the end of 2025, 5G networks handled 48% of all mobile data traffic, a figure that is expected to rise to 85% by the end of 2031.

Western Europe, North America, North East Asia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are forecast to have 5G mobile subscription adoption close to, or above, 90% by the end of the forecast period.

In sub-Saharan Africa, the transition from legacy networks to advanced connectivity is accelerating rapidly.

Over the forecast period, legacy 2G and 3G networks are expected to shrink significantly as 4G and 5G become the dominant technologies.

3G networks are anticipated to sunset sooner than 2G, with 3G subscriptions expected to decline by 8% a year to about 90-million, while 2G subscriptions are projected to fall by about 7% a year to 245-million by 2031.

LTE/4G subscriptions are forecast to grow from 490-million in 2025 to 610-million by 2031, accounting for 46% of all subscriptions, while 5G is expected to account for 28% of all mobile subscriptions by the end of 2031.

In addition to mobile connectivity, service providers in sub-Saharan Africa are increasingly diversifying their offerings.

Fixed Wireless Access is emerging as a key focus area for connecting both consumers and enterprises, presenting significant long-term potential to address the region’s demand for reliable broadband.

Reflecting broader global trends in the June 2026 ‘Ericsson Mobility Report’, uplink traffic is growing faster than downlink traffic for most service providers globally.

The main drivers are smartphone communication and collaboration apps, the sharing of user-generated content and cloud storage, aligning with the shifting network demands anticipated across Africa.

The report also highlights increasing industry focus on 6G standardisation.

The first implementable specifications for 6G are targeted for finalisation by the end of 2028 or early 2029, with the first commercial 6G services expected by about 2030, although timelines will vary by region and country.

Early adopters are expected to include the US, China, Japan, South Korea and the GCC countries, all of which launched commercial 5G services relatively early compared with many other countries. India is positioning itself to accelerate its 6G timeline relative to its 5G deployments.