A new mobile internet connectivity report from the GSMA provides some impressive figures marking the spread of 5G around the globe, with 5G network coverage having reached 4.4 billion people, 54% of the world’s population, by the end of 2024, an  increase of 700 million compared with a year earlier.

Although that seems impressive, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows in the global mobile sector. While increasing numbers of people have access to 5G services, concerns remain about the return on investment for mobile network operators, and there is still much angst related to the slower-than-expected rollout of 5G standalone (SA) networks.  

The GSMA’s State of Mobile Internet Connectivity 2025 report also delivers updates on the disappointing, as well as the positive, aspects of mobile network expansion, highlighting the continuing digital divide around the world even as 5G and 4G coverage grows.

In one interesting ‘usage’ statistic, the report notes that the percentage of those who do not use mobile internet services, even though a service is available to them – the ‘usage gap’ – is ten times the size of the coverage gap, which refers to those living in areas without mobile broadband coverage (which still stands at 4% of the global population, about 300 million people). “This means that more than 90% of those not using mobile internet live in areas covered by mobile broadband,” the report’s authors note.   

The usage gap, while still enormous, is at least shrinking, accounting for about 38% of the global population at the end of 2024, down from 40% in 2023. That means, at the end of last year, 3.12 billion people were not using mobile internet services despite being covered by a mobile broadband network.

In total, 4.72 billion people – 58% of the world’s population – now use mobile internet on a personal device, as the chart below from the GSMA report shows. 

A further 710 million individuals, 9% of the global population, use mobile internet on a device they do not own or of which they have primary use.

“Getting online has enormous and undeniable socioeconomic benefits to individuals and societies,” stated the GSMA’s director general, Vivek Badrinath. “Essential services, such as healthcare, education, e-commerce and banking, are now most commonly accessed online, and for billions of people this primarily means on mobile. In 96% of the world, the infrastructure is in place for people to get online via mobile. Removing the remaining barriers to using these services is essential to ensuring existing digital divides are reduced rather than deepened and many more of these 3.1 billion people can benefit from life-changing connectivity.”

So how is the conundrum of a continuing usage gap, even though 4G and 5G networks are available, to be addressed? As before, it comes down to improved education, as well as making mobile devices and data more affordable in low-and middle-income countries.

“Awareness of mobile internet is generally high, with more than 80% of the population in 11 of the 15 surveyed countries aware of mobile internet. In the remaining four countries, 25% to 41% of the population have yet to hear of mobile internet – a significant proportion of the population. Awareness levels also vary significantly within countries,” according to the report’s authors. 

Among individuals who are aware of mobile internet but have not yet started using it, it adds, two key barriers consistently emerge: Affordability of devices and mobile data; and literacy and digital skills. 

Notably, the GSMA analysis shows that a device costing $30 could make handsets affordable to a large chunk of those who currently do not use mobile internet but live in areas where there is coverage, and thus help close the usage gap.

“Although ‘the digital divide’ and ‘connect the unconnected’ have been on the agenda for well over a decade, the time has come to drive more meaningful progress,” stated Badrinath. “A device at $30 could make handsets affordable to up to 1.6 billion people who are currently priced out of connecting to available mobile internet coverage. To produce this will require a concerted, collaborative effort between the mobile industry, device manufacturers, policy makers, financial institutions and more, but it is a responsibility we all must shoulder,” added the GSMA’s director general.

5G in numbers

In terms of 5G deployments to date, the Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) has just published a couple of updates on both total and 5G standalone (SA) deployments.  

By the end of July 2025, the GSA had identified 644 operators in 191 countries and territories investing in 5G. This number excludes nearly 200 additional companies awarded priority access licences in the US auction of CBRS spectrum, which could potentially be used for 5G, the organisation explains. Meanwhile, some 345 operators in 136 countries and territories are said to have launched 5G mobile services. 

It also notes that “at least” 77 operators in 43 countries and territories are now understood to have launched public 5G SA networks, two of which are described as soft launches. An additional 31 operators are believed to be conducting field trials or tests for public 5G SA networks, while 60 are planning to deploy and five operators are currently deploying 5G SA.

“Launches of 5G SA look set to continue apace for the rest of 2025,” the GSA remarked.

– Anne Morris, Contributing Editor, TelecomTV