In 2025, there are 9.2 billion mobile-cellular subscriptions. This means there are 112 subscriptions for every 100 inhabitants. In high-income countries, this level rises to 142 mobile-cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants which is twice the level in low-income countries where there are 70 mobile-cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants. Among the regions, the CIS region has the highest penetration, with 159 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, or 1.7 times the level in Africa where there are 92 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants.
Mobile broadband continues to drive the evolution of connectivity. In 2025, there are 99 mobile broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants. Mobile broadband now accounts for 89 per cent of all mobile subscriptions, up from less than 50 per cent of mobile subscriptions in 2015. This shift reflects changing user behaviour, with demand increasingly shaped by data-based services and the gradual phase-out of voice-only plans.
At 99 mobile broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, there are now almost as many mobile broadband subscriptions as people in the world. This does not mean, however, that everybody has a mobile broadband subscription as many individuals hold multiple subscriptions, and some subscriptions belong to connected devices rather than individuals. Regional disparities remain significant. In the Americas region there are 132 mobile broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, compared to 56 mobile broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants in Africa.
Of all mobile broadband subscriptions, 36 per cent are now 5G/IMT-2020 subscriptions. 5G adoption varies widely across regions. In the Americas region, the Asia-Pacific region and Europe, over four in ten subscriptions are 5G, compared with just 2 or fewer per 100 subscriptions in the CIS region and Africa. Unsurprisingly, 5G uptake closely mirrors network availability and where network coverage remains limited, subscriptions remain low, and vice versa (see Mobile network coverage section).
In parallel, fixed broadband subscriptions continue to expand steadily, growing by an average of 5.2 per cent annually over the past five years. During the same period, fixed-telephone subscriptions have continued to shrink by 3 per cent per year. Fixed broadband penetration, at 20 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants has now surpassed the historical peak of 19 fixed-line subscriptions per 100 inhabitants recorded in 2006. Fixed broadband penetration is significantly less than the mobile broadband penetration rate because fixed connections are usually shared by several people in a household, and because rolling out fixed broadband is much more costly than mobile broadband.
Despite steady progress, fixed broadband penetration varies greatly across countries and regions, and inequalities are far higher than for mobile broadband connectivity. There are 39 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants in high-income countries, and less than one (0.6) fixed broadband subscription per 100 inhabitants in low-income countries, where investment constraints, regulatory barriers, and high deployment costs continue to hinder expansion.