In 2026, globally, there are 9.5 billion mobile cellular subscriptions, corresponding to 114 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants. In high-income countries, there are 144 mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, which is almost double the subscription rate of low-income countries (74). Among ITU regions, the CIS has the highest penetration, with 162 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, compared with 101 in Africa.
Mobile broadband continues to drive the evolution of connectivity. In 2026, globally, there are 105 mobile-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants. Mobile broadband now accounts for 92 per cent of all mobile subscriptions, up from less than 50 per cent 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.
Despite the global subscription rate exceeding 100 per 100 inhabitants, not everyone has a mobile broadband subscription: many individuals hold multiple subscriptions and some subscriptions are used by connected devices (e.g. tablets) rather than individuals. Regional disparities remain significant: on average, there are 138 mobile broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants in the Americas region, compared with 57 in Africa.
5G now accounts for 40 per cent of all mobile broadband subscriptions. In the Asia-Pacific region, the Americas and Europe, there are between 52 and 60 5G subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, compared with just 3 or fewer per 100 inhabitants in the CIS and Africa. 5G uptake closely mirrors network availability, with lower subscription rates in regions where coverage remains limited (see Mobile network coverage section).
In parallel, fixed broadband subscriptions continue to expand steadily, growing by an average of 4.7 per cent annually over the past five years, to reach 21 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants in 2026. During the same period, fixed telephone subscriptions declined by an average of 2.8 per cent per year. In 2024, fixed broadband penetration surpassed the historical peak of 19 fixed telephone subscriptions per 100 inhabitants recorded in 2006.
Despite steady progress, fixed broadband penetration varies greatly across countries and regions, with much wider disparities than mobile broadband. There are 39 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants in high-income countries, but just 0.6 in low-income countries, where investment constraints, regulatory barriers and high deployment costs continue to hinder expansion.