The growth of 5G continues unabated, with global subscriptions reaching 690 million in Q2 2022.

Despite challenges and hiccups, 5G adoption is progressing at a faster rate than 4G. According to the latest Ericsson Mobility Report, total mobile subscriptions grew by 52 million, reaching 8.3 billion. 5G subscriptions grew by 70 million, reaching 690 million.

Ericsson’s report also shows how people are using their mobile phones, with mobile data use climbing dramatically year over-year. Between Q2 2021 and Q2 2022, network data traffic increased by 39%. Even the growth from Q1 2022 to Q2 2022 was an impressive 8%.

Ericsson attributes the growth to the increased consumption of media on mobile devices, no doubt driven by the faster speeds 5G provides.

Over the long term, traffic5 growth is driven by both the rising number of smartphone subscriptions and an increasing average data volume per subscription, fueled primarily by increased viewing of video content. There are large differences in traffic levels between markets, regions and service providers. The graph below shows the total global monthly network data traffic from Q2 2015 to Q2 2022, along with the year-on year percentage growth for mobile network data traffic.

5G has long been touted as a revolutionary advancement in wireless technology, thanks to the speed it offers. It appears that 5G adoption is finally reaching the point where it is beginning to have a tangible impact on the wireless industry.