Ericsson Forecasts Strong 5G Surge and Fintech Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa

Fixed Wireless Access (FWA)  continues to grow in appeal to communications service providers (CSPs) around the world, with the ability to offer speed-based tariff plans – enhanced by 5G capabilities – proving particularly attractive, the June 2025 Ericsson   Mobility Report shows.

FWA is projected to account for more than 35 percent of new fixed broadband connections, with an expected increase to 350 million by the end of 2030. 5G FWA plays a crucial role in expanding broadband access, especially in areas where traditional wired infrastructure may be less feasible.

On 5G subscriptions, the June 2025 Ericsson Mobility Report forecasts subscriptions to top 2.9 billion globally by the end of 2025 – about one third of all mobile subscriptions. The 5G subscription forecast for the end of 2030 remains at 6.3 billion. 5G networks handled 35 percent of global mobile traffic by the end of 2024, with forecasters expecting the figure to top 80 percent by the end of 2030.

In Sub-Saharan Africa the telecoms sector continues to drive growth, fueled by a young population, wider access to affordable smartphones, and a rising demand for mobile data and digital services.

2G and 3G subscriptions are anticipated to decline annually by 5 and 10 percent respectively over the forecast period. In 2030, 4G is set to account for 37 percent of all mobile subscriptions, while 5G is expected to grow significantly to around 400 million subscriptions.

Service providers are increasingly diversifying their offerings, with a strong focus on fintech – mobile money services in particular – and Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), aimed at boosting connectivity for both households and businesses. The sector’s resilience and long-term momentum will hinge on ongoing infrastructure developments and supportive regulatory environments.

Through commentary, insights and customer/partner case stories, the June 2025 EMR highlights the ability of 5G Standalone (5G SA) and 5G Advanced to create monetization opportunities for CSPs globally based on value delivery rather than data volume.

The report highlights how CSPs are pursuing new commercial opportunities by offering differentiated connectivity services to consumers, enterprises and public authorities. Use cases include broadcast/video production, point of sale systems, events/arenas, gaming, fixed wireless access, virtual private networks, and enterprise productivity.

Deeper dive articles include:

• Study on how GenAI will impact future mobile network traffic. Only applications with high adoption and high data rate requirements will impact mobile network traffic growth globally.
• Article (co-written with Sony) on how the company continually works with new and disruptive technologies to enhance the entertainment businesses. Dynamic slicing, in combination with Quality on Demand (QoD) APIs, will enable live media production over mobile networks, delivering great user experiences.

“Sub-Saharan Africa is rapidly advancing toward a digitally connected future. The ongoing rollout of 4G and 5G are steadily phasing out legacy technologies with 40 percent of the projected subscriptions by 2030 expected to be 5G, as per the latest edition of the Ericsson Mobility Report. We also see strong attention to fintech innovations and Fixed Wireless Access, which play a vital role in expanding connectivity and financial inclusion in the region. Together, they are driving inclusive growth and unlocking new opportunities in Sub-Saharan Africa.”

–Majda Lahlou Kassi, Vice President and Head of Ericsson West and Southern Africa, Ericsson Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Based on unique Ericsson and partner network insights, the Ericsson Mobility Report has been the key industry reference for network data, performance, statistics, and forecasts since its launch in 2011.