The latest Ericsson Mobility Report highlights strong GCC 5G growth, positioning the region among the world’s leading markets for next-generation mobile connectivity and a potential early adopter of 6G technologies.

According to the June 2026 edition of the report, global 5G mobile subscriptions surpassed three billion during the first quarter of 2026. In the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), 5G subscription penetration reached 53 percent by the end of 2025, making it one of the highest rates globally.

The updated report covers the 2025 to 2031 period and includes revised forecasts and statistics compared to the November 2025 edition.

Despite having a relatively small mobile subscriber base, the GCC stands out due to its high penetration levels, urbanization rates, and consumer spending power. Mobile subscriptions across the region are expected to increase from 84 million in 2025 to 95 million by 2031.

At the same time, legacy network technologies are expected to continue declining. LTE subscriptions are forecast to decrease from 35 million in 2025 to 8 million by 2031 as users transition to advanced connectivity services.

Meanwhile, GCC 5G growth is expected to accelerate further. By the end of 2031, 5G subscriptions are projected to account for 88 percent of all mobile subscriptions in the region, totaling 84 million connections.

The report also points to rising data consumption. Average monthly mobile data usage per active smartphone in the GCC is expected to grow from 30 GB in 2025 to 49 GB in 2031. Furthermore, total mobile data traffic is forecast to increase from 1.8 exabytes per month in 2025 to 3.3 exabytes per month by 2031.

Petra Schirren, President of Ericsson Gulf, said: “The GCC’s early and extensive 5G deployments are driving a structural shift across the region’s telecom sector. As traditional telcos transition into digital service providers, the adoption of AI, cloud computing and edge solutions, combined with network slicing, will be the critical next step to deliver customized connectivity.”

In addition, the report highlights the growing role of Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) as a monetization strategy for service providers. Globally, speed-based tariff plans for FWA continue to gain traction.

The GCC has emerged as one of the strongest regions for 5G FWA adoption, alongside North America, the Nordics, and parts of Asia. Demand for high-speed alternatives to fixed broadband, coupled with government initiatives aimed at connecting underserved communities and advancing smart city projects, continues to drive uptake.

The report also notes increasing industry attention on 6G development. Standardization discussions are already underway, and the GCC is expected to be among the earliest adopters of 6G, alongside the United States, China, Japan, and South Korea. This outlook is largely attributed to the region’s early investments and rapid deployment of 5G networks.

Additionally, the June 2026 Ericsson Mobility Report includes several deep-dive and partner-authored articles. These explore the growth of differentiated connectivity services offered by telecom providers, the rising demand for uplink capacity in AI-driven mobile networks, and the role of mobile connectivity in AI-powered enterprise transformation.

The report also features a co-authored article with Qualcomm examining the evolution of AI-enabled extended reality (XR) experiences. Another contribution, developed with SoftBank, explores network slicing implementation during the 2026 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix.

With mobile adoption continuing to rise and advanced network technologies gaining momentum, the Ericsson Mobility Report indicates that GCC 5G growth will remain a key driver of digital transformation and future 6G readiness across the region.

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