Ericsson: “5G SA a catalyst for new business opportunities”
June 24, 2025
Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) continues to grow in appeal to communications service providers (CSPs) around the world, with the ability to offer speed-based tariff plans – enhanced by 5G capabilities – proving particularly attractive, the June 2025 Ericsson Mobility Report shows.
While about 80 per cent of the global CSPs sampled by Ericsson currently offer FWA services, the most rapid area of growth continues to be among CSPs offering 5G-enabled speed-based tariff plans.
With 5G FWA, service providers can offer a range of subscriber packages with different data speeds and entertainment options – similar to cable or fibre offerings – increasing monetisation opportunities for CSPs compared to earlier generations of FWA.
The June 2025 Ericsson Mobility Report shows that just over half (51 per cent) of global CSPs with FWA offerings, now include speed-based options – up from 40 per cent on the same period in June 2024 – driven by high adoption in North America, and growth in Europe and the Middle East.
FWA is projected to account for more than 35 per cent of new fixed broadband connections, with an expected increase to 350 million by the end of 2030. 5G FWA plays a crucial role in expanding broadband access, especially in areas where traditional wired infrastructure may be less feasible.
On 5G subscriptions, the report forecasts subscriptions to top 2.9 billion globally by the end of 2025 – about one third of all mobile subscriptions. The 5G subscription forecast for the end of 2030 remains at 6.3 billion.
Mobile network data traffic increased by 19 per cent from the first quarter of 2024 to the corresponding period in 2025. Despite a declining growth rate, net added traffic will continue to increase year-on-year, with the report forecasting that mobile data traffic will more than double through the forecast period through the end of 2030.
5G networks handled 35 per cent of global mobile traffic by the end of 2024, with forecasters expecting the figure to top 80 per cent by the end of 2030.
In Europe, 5G mid-band coverage topped 50 per cent population coverage by the end of 2024. While the figure puts the region in line with the global average, it lags far behind frontrunner countries such as North America where 5G mid-band deployment has topped 90 per cent population coverage, and India where 5G mid-band population coverage reached 95 per cent by the end of 2024.
Through commentary, insights and customer/partner case stories, the report highlights the ability of 5G Standalone (5G SA) and 5G Advanced to create monetisation opportunities for CSPs globally, based on value delivery rather than data volume.
The report highlights how CSPs are pursuing new commercial opportunities by offering differentiated connectivity services to consumers, enterprises and public authorities.
Erik Ekudden, Ericsson Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, commented: “We are at an inflection point, where 5G and the ecosystem are set to unleash a wave of innovation. The recent advancements in 5G standalone (SA) networks, coupled with the progress in 5G-enabled devices, have led to an ecosystem poised to unlock transformative opportunities for connected creativity. Service providers have recognised this potential of 5G and are beginning to monetise it through innovative service offerings that extend beyond merely selling data plans. To fully realise the potential of 5G, it is essential to continue deploying 5G SA and to further build out mid-band sites. 5G SA capabilities serve as a catalyst for driving new business growth opportunities.”
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