The GSA State of the Market April report is available for free download here https://gsacom.com/paper/state-of-the-market-april-2026/ (registration required). A detailed Annex of industry data is also available exclusively for GSA Members and Associates.

Joe Barrett, President of Global mobile Suppliers Association, commented: “The global 5G market is entering a more selective and strategic phase of development. While the first years of 5G were defined by launch momentum and a race to switch on services, the GSA State of the Market report shows an industry moving into a period shaped less by headline launches and more by network quality, architectural maturity and service differentiation. This shift is most clearly visible in 5G Standalone which now underpins much of the industry’s next wave of innovation, including 5G RedCap, network slicing and more advanced enterprise offers. As this edition of the GSA State of the Market report confirms, these trends all point to a market that is no longer defined simply by how many 5G networks exist, but by what those networks are becoming. 5G in 2026 will be shaped by standalone adoption, ecosystem readiness and the ability of operators to translate technical capability into commercial value.”

THE STATE OF THE MARKET – KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Global 5G expansion is still advancing, but the story is no longer just about adding more launches to the map
  • 392 operators have launched 5G networks, up 14% from March 2025, reflecting 44% of total LTE and 5G networks.
• Spectrum remains the essential enabler of the next phase of 5G growth, and beyond that 6G.
  • In the last year, 11 5G auctions have been completed across the world, for an average price of $663.4 million.
• The 5G device market continues to expand rapidly, but the more meaningful story is how it is broadening.
  • As of now, there are 4,256 announced 5G devices, up 24% from last year. In comparison, total LTE devices totalled 29,024.
• 5G Standalone is becoming the clearest marker of market maturity.
  • 95 operators have launched a 5G Standalone service, highlighting a growth of 42% since 1Q25.
• 5G-Advanced is still at an early stage, but its growth rate makes it one of the clearest signals of where the market is heading next.
  • In total, 35 operators are investing in 5G-Advanced, an increase of 71% since last year. Of these, 11 operators have launched a service.
• Private mobile networks continue to demonstrate that 5G’s opportunity extends well beyond public consumer services.
  • The manufacturing vertical is a strong adopter of mobile private networks, with 374 identified customer deployments, followed by the education and academic research sector with 169 customers deploying it.
• Satellite-enabled mobile connectivity is moving from experiment to early commercial reality.
  • 97 operators are investing in satellite-to cellphone connectivity and 8 available chipsets are compatible with the technology.
• Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) remains one of 5G’s strongest and most visible commercial success stories.
  • There are 394 operators who have launched a 5G fixed wireless service, with another 29 investing in the technology, an increase of 59% since June 2025.

The GSA State of the Market reports contains the latest global data behind all these trends and developments, as of the end of March 2026. All of the detail behind the data is available exclusively to GSA Members and Associates through a downloadable annex of Excel files detailing:

• Operators having launched public 5G networks
• List of commercially available 5G devices
• Operators investing in public 5G standalone networks
• Operators investing in 5G RedCap
• Operators investing in 5G-Advanced networks
• Organisations deploying or piloting private mobile networks based on LTE, 5G or GSM-R
• List of operators’ satellite partnerships
• List of 5G and LTE FWA networks

All the data is taken from GAMBoD, GSA’s suite of databases, available exclusively to GSA Members and GSA Associates. The databases, which are curated and validated by GSA’s experienced research team of industry analysts, include devices, public networks, private networks, chipsets, spectrum assignments, spectrum pricing and a global database of mobile operator technology and spectrum profiles. All employees of GSA Member or GSA Associate organisation benefit from unlimited access to the full suite of seven databases.

The GSA State of the Market April report is available for download here https://gsacom.com/paper/state-of-the-market-april-2026/ (registration required).

About GSA
GSA is the voice of the global mobile ecosystem representing companies engaged in the supply of infrastructure, semiconductors, test equipment, devices, applications and mobile support services. The organisation plays a central role in promoting 3GPP technology, advocating spectrum policies and stimulating IMT industry development. The association is a single source of information for industry reports and market intelligence. To understand more about the full benefits of becoming a GSA Member or Associate and the breadth and depth of data in the GSA’s 7 GAMBoD databases, please visit: https://members.gsacom.com

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The global 5G market is entering a more selective and strategic phase of development.

The first years of 5G were defined by launch momentum. Operators raced to switch on services, extend coverage and establish a visible 5G presence in their markets. That expansion continues, with 392 operators now having launched 5G networks and 643 operators investing in the technology overall. But the pace and character of growth are changing. The relatively modest annual increase in total 5G investment suggests that the market is moving beyond its initial land-grab phase and into a period shaped less by headline launches and more by network quality, architectural maturity and service differentiation.

As the global data in this latest report shows, that shift is most clearly visible in 5G Standalone. While non-standalone still accounts for the majority of launched services, standalone is steadily gaining share and now underpins much of the industry’s next wave of innovation. As operators build out standalone cores, they are putting in place the foundations for 5G RedCap, network slicing, more advanced enterprise offers and the broader transition towards programmable, cloud-native mobile networks. In parallel, the emergence of 5G-Advanced, which itself requires a 5G SA core, shows that the leading edge of the market is already beginning to move beyond basic 5G deployment and towards enhanced performance, efficiency and automation.

The ecosystem around 5G is also deepening. Device numbers continue to rise, but the more telling trend is diversification: alongside smartphones, the market now includes a growing base of industrial routers, modules, FWA CPEs and other specialised devices that support enterprise and sector-specific use cases. Private mobile networks are expanding steadily, with 5G taking a rising share, while satellite-to-cellphone partnerships are moving from concept to commercial launch. Fixed wireless access remains one of the most widely deployed and commercially proven 5G use cases, particularly in markets seeking to extend broadband reach quickly.

Taken together, these trends point to a market that is no longer defined simply by how many 5G networks exist, but by what those networks are becoming. 5G in 2026 will be shaped by standalone adoption, ecosystem readiness and the ability of operators to translate technical capability into commercial value.

In this report you will find the latest headline data behind all these trends and developments. All of the detail behind the data is available exclusively to GSA Members and Associates in GAMBoD, GSA’s suite of databases, covering devices, public networks, private networks, chipsets, spectrum assignments, spectrum pricing and a global database of mobile operator technology and spectrum profiles. All employees of GSA Member or GSA Associate organisation will be able to benefit from unlimited access to the full suite of seven databases.

Key Highlights

• 392 operators have launched 5G networks, up 14% from March 2025, reflecting 44% of total LTE and 5G networks.

• In the last year, 11 5G auctions have been completed across the world, for an average price of $663.4 million.

• As of now, there are 4,256 announced 5G devices, up 24% from last year. In comparison, total LTE devices totalled 29,024.

• 95 operators have launched a 5G Standalone service, highlighting a growth of 42% since 1Q25.

• In total, 35 operators are investing in 5G-Advanced, an increase of 71% since last year. Of these, 11 operators have launched a service.

• The manufacturing vertical is a strong adopter of mobile private networks, with 374 identified customer deployments, followed by the education and academic research sector with 169 customers deploying it.

• 97 operators are investing in satellite-to cellphone connectivity and 8 available chipsets are compatible with the technology.

• There are 394 operators who have launched a 5G fixed wireless service, with another 29 investing in the technology, an increase of 59% since June 2025.

The global 5G market is entering a more selective and strategic phase of development.

The data in this report is correct as of the end of March 2026.

State of the Market April 2026

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The Q1 2026 Mobile Industry statistics pulled from the GSA GAMBoD industry databases.

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GSA Research

Mobile industry research is the backbone of GSA activity and covers topics from devices, chipsets and technology, to networks, features and spectrum.

The GSA research team is constantly following market dynamics and activity to ensure the latest data is available to GSA users via the GSA website.

Data is updated monthly and quarterly and can be referenced by users who register for free on the GSA website and download multiple reports, charts and videos of webinars. GSA welcomes any contributions on industry data from mobile operators, vendors and suppliers what want to ensure accurate industry data is shared globally.

GSA GAMBoD Database

GSA reports are based on extensive data contained in the GSA GAMBoD databases, which is a resource available to GSA members and associates. Companies and policy makers can subscribe, as a GSA associate, to gain access to GSA databases and member reports for additional insights into the source data behind reports, which can be used for their own research purposes.

Discounted annual subscription are available to regulators, government agencies and licensed mobile operators.

Please email info@gsacom.com for more information.

The post GSA Infographics April 2026 appeared first on GSA.

With these developments, operators can unlock greater potential through network slicing, 5G reduced capability (RedCap) and voice over New Radio (VoNR). Meanwhile, devices and chipsets continue to play a crucial role in the development of 5G, with the ecosystem of compatible devices expanding from the most-premium smartphones to drones, outdoor customer premises equipment (CPE), modules and asset trackers.

Join the GSA Research team to access the latest market data on the status of:

• 5G networks deploying 5G non-standalone and 5G SS
• 5G-Advanced network launches
• 5G RedCap, VoNR and network slicing
• Commercially available 5G devices, including form factors, chipsets and spectrum support
• 5G Private Mobile Networks
• 5G non-terrestrial networks (NTN)

All of the detail behind this data shared in this webinar is available exclusively to GSA Members and Associates in GAMBoD, GSA’s suite of databases, covering devices, public networks, private networks, chipsets, spectrum assignments, spectrum pricing and a global database of mobile operator technology and spectrum profiles.

The post 5G networks, spectrum & devices appeared first on GSA.

The latest mobile industry statistics collated by the GSA Research Team comprised of data from the GAMBoD industry databases. These databases are constantly updated to help GSA Members, Associates and the wider industry track the deployment and development of 3GPP technologies globally.

1. 5G Infographic
2. Industry Infographic

• 642 mobile operators investing in 5G worldwide
• 374 commercial 5G launches
• 4,058 5G devices announced
• 3,049 devices announced supporting 5G Stand Alone
• 330+ vendors producing or planning 5G devices
• More than $1 billion spent so far in 2025 on 5G related spectrum auctions and assignments
• and much more…

© GSA 2026 – content can be used providing GSA is referenced as the source.

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GSA Research

Mobile industry research is the backbone of GSA activity and covers topics from devices, chipsets and technology, to networks, features and spectrum.

The GSA research team is constantly following market dynamics and activity to ensure the latest data is available to GSA users via the GSA website.

Data is updated monthly and quarterly and can be referenced by users who register for free on the GSA website and download multiple reports, charts and videos of webinars. GSA welcomes any contributions on industry data from mobile operators, vendors and suppliers what want to ensure accurate industry data is shared globally.

GSA GAMBoD Database

GSA reports are based on extensive data contained in the GSA GAMBoD databases, which is a resource available to GSA members and associates. Companies and policy makers can subscribe, as a GSA associate, to gain access to GSA databases and member reports for additional insights into the source data behind reports, which can be used for their own research purposes.

Discounted annual subscription are available to regulators, government agencies and licensed mobile operators.

Please email info@gsacom.com for more information.
GSA Infographic – January 2026

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As of December 2025, GSA had catalogued 4,058 announced 5G devices, with 3,658 (90.1%) commercially available — reflecting a 27.7% increase over the past year. The ecosystem spans over 40 device form factors from 330 manufacturers.

Key highlights from the December 2025 update include:

1. Phones continue to dominate, with 2,165 models (at least 2,076 commercially available).
2. Industrial routers or modems (391) retain second place, followed by modules (380), fixed wireless access CPE (359) and hot spots (114).
3. At least 260 fixed wireless access devices for indoor and outdoor use are now commercially available.
4. GSA identified 1,092 devices supporting standalone 5G in sub-6 GHz bands; 898 are commercially available.
5. Regarding spectrum, 81.7% of devices support sub-6 GHz, but only 5.2% support millimetre wave. Dual support is found in just 3.3% of devices. Band n78 remains the most widely supported, followed by n41, n1 and n77.

GSA expects continued growth and increasing detail as more devices reach the market and become available in its GAMBoD database.

© GSA 2025

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GSA Research

Mobile industry research is the backbone of GSA activity and covers topics from devices, chipsets and technology, to networks, features and spectrum.

The GSA research team is constantly following market dynamics and activity to ensure the latest data is available to GSA users via the GSA website.

Data is updated monthly and quarterly and can be referenced by users who register for free on the GSA website and download multiple reports, charts and videos of webinars. GSA welcomes any contributions on industry data from mobile operators, vendors and suppliers what want to ensure accurate industry data is shared globally.

GSA GAMBoD Database

GSA reports are based on extensive data contained in the GSA GAMBoD databases, which is a resource available to GSA members and associates. Companies and policy makers can subscribe, as a GSA associate, to gain access to GSA databases and member reports for additional insights into the source data behind reports, which can be used for their own research purposes.

Discounted annual subscription are available to regulators, government agencies and licensed mobile operators.

Please email info@gsacom.com for more information.

5G-Ecosystem December 2025

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As of December 2025, GSA had catalogued 4,058 announced 5G devices, with 3,658 (90.1%) commercially available — reflecting a 27.7% increase over the past year. The ecosystem spans over 40 device form factors from 330 manufacturers.

Key highlights from the December 2025 update include:

• Phones continue to dominate, with 2,165 models (at least 2,076 commercially available).
• Industrial routers or modems (391) retain second place, followed by modules (380), fixed wireless access CPE (359) and hot spots (114).
• At least 260 fixed wireless access devices for indoor and outdoor use are now commercially available.
• GSA identified 1,092 devices supporting standalone 5G in sub-6 GHz bands; 898 are commercially available.
• Regarding spectrum, 81.7% of devices support sub-6 GHz, but only 5.2% support millimetre wave. Dual support is found in just 3.3% of devices. Band n78 remains the most widely supported, followed by n41, n1 and n77.

GSA expects continued growth and increasing detail as more devices reach the market and become available in its GAMBoD database.

© GSA 2025

The post 5G-Ecosystem – Annex for Members December 2025 appeared first on GSA.

Link to the White paper here.

RAN Scenario Generators and Their Critical Role for Future-Proofing AI-Native RAN in Advanced 5G and 6G Networks

The role of artificial intelligence within telecommunications is evolving quickly, shifting from speeding discrete automation tasks to intelligent, context-aware decision making in which it becomes a critical element of network operations. This change is particularly visible in the way that AI is being used in new and emerging 5G and 6G deployments, not least when it comes to MU-MIMO. To date networks have deployed AI as an add-on. It is being used to optimize and enhance existing systems and has enabled the dynamic allocation of network slices, the better management of resources, and the improved detection of both potential issues and security threats. However, new 5G and 6G implementations built around “AI-native” architectures and MU-MIMO will shift AI from the periphery to the very heart of the network. This will enable autonomous operation across immensely complex, heterogeneous Service Management and Orchestration (SMO) Networks built on principles such as Open RAN and managed by programmable platforms such as the RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC). This shift, however, presents a fundamental challenge: How do you ensure that AI is making the correct decisions for the network, especially when it needs to scale rapidly across heterogeneous, dynamic environments?

Training an AI (and ensuring its long-term viability) requires data. As well as being accurate and reliable, this data must be representative of a real-world, dynamic network rather than an ideal or a snapshot at a particular time. Using this data, the AI applications used to run and maintain the network should then be continuously tested and challenged to prevent drift and to ensure readiness for change and unforeseen scenarios.

In this paper we examine the challenges and trade-offs of real-world data and synthetic data to demonstrate why a hybrid data layer with RAN scenario generator (RSG) testing is the optimal approach for training AI applications for the specific network. We will also identify how this approach can be used to prevent AI drift and how it can prepare for change (including upgrades and attacks). Finally, we will break down how these techniques can be used to improve the network’s energy efficiency, plan for 6G deployment, enhance QoS, and optimize for massive MIMO.

© VIAVI 2025

Viavi is a GSA Member Company.

AI RAN – 5G – 6G

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This latest report provides a snapshot of global public network and operator activities based on GSA’s GAMBoD database. As of the end of November 2025, 841 operators offer LTE broadband and mobile services, including 452 operators with public fixed wireless access networks. Additionally, 601 operators actively use FDD spectrum, and 400 are investing in LTE-Advanced technologies, with 361 networks launched.

In 5G developments, 643 operators in 193 countries are investing in tests, pilots, and deployments. Of these, 374 operators in 143 countries have launched commercial 5G services, including 86 operators with 5G standalone networks. The report also highlights 1,846 private LTE or 5G network deployments globally.

The GAMBoD Spectrum Assignment database tracks mobile spectrum assignments for 245 countries, providing insights into spectrum usage and technology adoption. It reveals a notable growth in advanced LTE and 5G technologies. The data emphasizes the ongoing expansion of mobile broadband infrastructure worldwide.

Also, GSA’s new Spectrum Pricing database includes information on mobile spectrum pricing and frequency bands for over 60 countries and territories. It allows users to explore data from spectrum auctions, including prices and price per MHz per population.

© GSA 2025

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GSA Research

Mobile industry research is the backbone of GSA activity and covers topics from devices, chipsets and technology, to networks, features and spectrum.

The GSA research team is constantly following market dynamics and activity to ensure the latest data is available to GSA users via the GSA website.

Data is updated monthly and quarterly and can be referenced by users who register for free on the GSA website and download multiple reports, charts and videos of webinars. GSA welcomes any contributions on industry data from mobile operators, vendors and suppliers what want to ensure accurate industry data is shared globally.

GSA GAMBoD Database

GSA reports are based on extensive data contained in the GSA GAMBoD databases, which is a resource available to GSA members and associates. Companies and policy makers can subscribe, as a GSA associate, to gain access to GSA databases and member reports for additional insights into the source data behind reports, which can be used for their own research purposes.

Discounted annual subscription are available to regulators, government agencies and licensed mobile operators.

Please email info@gsacom.com for more information.

Public Mobile Networks – December 2025

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Intelligent Twin Technology for efficient, reliable, secure 5G and 6G networks

Download the Viavi Network Digital Twin brochure here.

I N T R O D UCT I O N 

In recent years, I’ve been fascinated by the concept of digital twins and how they’re transforming various industries. Digital twins are essentially virtual replicas of physical systems, allowing us to simulate, analyze, and optimize in a virtual environment. This technology is incredibly powerful for iterating in a virtual world and accelerating business outcomes and value in the real world.

At VIAVI, we’ve been pioneering this innovation for use in telecoms networks. Traditionally, we’ve focused on testing and emulation in lab environments using synthetic data and bringing our knowledge of the field into the lab. However, we’re now taking it a step further by taking that knowledge and expertise to incorporate the real data from networks into our digital twin engines.

This real data is essential for building applications and leveraging AI to fill data gaps and drive automation. Our goal is to create realistic scenarios that can be tested and scaled, ensuring the data we use is as accurate as possible.

We’re also working on generating realistic scenarios for various applications, such as energy saving, x/r App validation, risk prediction and Integrated Sensing and Communications (ISAC). By integrating real data into these simulations, we can test and evaluate factors like scalability and latency. This approach not only enhances the testing process but also provides a framework for validating applications in a community-driven environment.

Moreover, the integration of AI into our digital twin systems allows us to create new, previously unseen scenarios, enhancing the completeness and confidence in deployment. This collaboration between digital twin operators, data providers, and AI technologies is paving the way for innovative solutions and advancements in network testing and application development. The use of digital twins, real data, and AI is revolutionizing how we test and optimize networks, leading to more efficient and reliable and secure business outcomes.

– VIAVI CTO Office

© VIAVI 2025

Viavi is a GSA Member Company.

VIAVI Network Digital Twin

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