Report: 392 operators have launched 5G networks
April 23, 2026
GSA has published its latest State of the Market report. Drawing together insights from across GSA’s range of industry data, all validated by GSA’s experienced research team, the report presents a comprehensive overview of the global status of 5G networks, devices, spectrum and services.
Joe Barrett, President of Global mobile Suppliers Association, commented: “The global 5G market is entering a more selective and strategic phase of development. While the first years of 5G were defined by launch momentum and a race to switch on services, the GSA State of the Market report shows an industry moving into a period shaped less by headline launches and more by network quality, architectural maturity and service differentiation. This shift is most clearly visible in 5G Standalone which now underpins much of the industry’s next wave of innovation, including 5G RedCap, network slicing and more advanced enterprise offers.
“As this edition of the GSA State of the Market report confirms, these trends all point to a market that is no longer defined simply by how many 5G networks exist, but by what those networks are becoming. 5G in 2026 will be shaped by standalone adoption, ecosystem readiness and the ability of operators to translate technical capability into commercial value,” added Barrett.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Global 5G expansion is still advancing, but the story is no longer just about adding more launches to the map
- 392 operators have launched 5G networks, up 14 per cent from March 2025, reflecting 44 per cent of total LTE and 5G networks.
- Spectrum remains the essential enabler of the next phase of 5G growth, and beyond that 6G.
- In the last year, 11 5G auctions have been completed across the world, for an average price of $663.4 million.
- The 5G device market continues to expand rapidly, but the more meaningful story is how it is broadening.
- As of now, there are 4,256 announced 5G devices, up 24 per cent from last year. In comparison, total LTE devices totalled 29,024.
- 5G Standalone is becoming the clearest marker of market maturity.
- 95 operators have launched a 5G Standalone service, highlighting a growth of 42 per cent since Q1 2025.
- 5G-Advanced is still at an early stage, but its growth rate makes it one of the clearest signals of where the market is heading next.
- In total, 35 operators are investing in 5G-Advanced, an increase of 71 per cent since last year. Of these, 11 operators have launched a service.
- Private mobile networks continue to demonstrate that 5G’s opportunity extends well beyond public consumer services.
- The manufacturing vertical is a strong adopter of mobile private networks, with 374 identified customer deployments, followed by the education and academic research sector with 169 customers deploying it.
- Satellite-enabled mobile connectivity is moving from experiment to early commercial reality.
- 97 operators are investing in satellite-to cellphone connectivity and 8 available chipsets are compatible with the technology.
- Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) remains one of 5G’s strongest and most visible commercial success stories.
- There are 394 operators who have launched a 5G fixed wireless service, with another 29 investing in the technology, an increase of 59 per cent since June 2025.