Last year saw 5G connections surge to 2.25 billion worldwide, resulting in 1.5 wireless connections per person by the end of 2024 in what has been hailed as a milestone year for the wireless industry.

New figures from telecoms trade organisation 5G Americas and analyst firm Omdia show that 5G adoption has skyrocketed, with North America leading the way at 289 million connections, covering 77% of the region’s population, and a staggering 67% increase from the 196 million connections at the end of 2023.

The rapid adoption of 5G has far outpaced previous wireless generations, with 5G connections expanding four times faster than 4G LTE did in a comparable period, which saw LTE only just surpass 500 million connections by the end of 2014.

For comparison, 4G LTE adoption in North America had only reached 47% regional coverage by the equivalent point in 2014.

Beyond adoption rates, North America is also the first region in the world to reach parity between the number of commercial 5G and 4G LTE networks, which 5G Americas said reflects growing maturity and pace of next-generation network deployment in the region.

“Reaching 2.25 billion 5G connections globally is a powerful indicator of how rapidly this technology is transforming the world—but it’s also a reminder of North America’s leadership in shaping that future,” said Viet Nguyen, president of 5G Americas.

“With 5G now reaching 77 percent of our population, the region continues to set the pace for innovation, network deployment, and advanced use cases. 

“This momentum speaks to the strength of our ecosystem—industry collaboration, investment, and forward-looking policy—all working together to make next-generation connectivity a reality.”

Latin America also witnessed a significant surge in 5G adoption, doubling its connections in just one year to 76 million by 2024, up from 38.5 million in 2023. 

However, although 5G expansion has accelerated, 4G LTE remains the dominant technology in Latin America, with 593 million users, accounting for 74% of all wireless connections.

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While North America has fast become the most connected 5G region, last year, a study from the Social Market Foundation warned that the UK risked falling behind in its own 5G capabilities compared to other nations, ranking last in a list of fifteen developing and advanced international markets, while later studies found just 42% of UK consumers have 5G devices connected mainly to 5G networks, lagging top competitors in the EU.

Worryingly, improvements to the UK’s 5G figures may be slow coming, with most network operators predicting that ageing infrastructure – including copper, 2G, and 3G –  could remain in service for years, costing telcos over £1 million annually, and delaying new tech investments.